Smart, Connected and Electric

This article introduces opportunities that are seen at the intersection of electrification, connectivity, and smart controls in the automobile industry. Computational Intelligence provides the vehicle the ability to reason, adapt, and learn based on historical usage data, the present operating conditions, and the predicted future states. Modern automobiles continue to grow in complexity and sophistication. Electrified powertrains now provide vastly improved fuel efficiency by utilizing high-voltage systems to overcome some of the shortcomings of traditional combustion engines. Smart controls have enabled a wealth of new vehicle features ranging from automatic climate control to vehicle dynamic control. Vehicle connectivity, having already empowered the driver through infotainment and telematics, now promises new computing resources and information that can be leveraged directly for improved vehicle performance. At the intersection of these three vehicle mega trends lies a field that is rich for development. In the future, drivers will benefit in everything from enhanced drivability to more durable vehicles.