Zonal Architecture: The Foundation for Next-Generation Vehicles

ZONAL ARCHITECTURE:

THE FOUNDATION FOR NEXT-GENERATION VEHICLES

The landscape in which the automotive industry operates is changing dramatically. The consumers of today expect drastically different experiences and functionalities from a vehicle than they did previously. The new generation of automotive consumers expect constant internet connectivity, a fully customizable driving or riding experience, as well as personalized entertainment functionalities. Simultaneously, consumers expect to feel safe and secure, while enjoying the latest, modern features on-demand, in real-time and over-the-air as they download different applications and services from vehicle “app stores”. In fact, the vehicle is no longer the focal point in the consumer’s mind, rather it is the mobility service or mobility experience that it provides.

Learn more about the paradigm shift happening in the automotive industry.

The traditional approach of designing a vehicle’s E/E architecture, one that has proven itself for decades, is no longer viable.. The automotive industry has responded to the consumer trends by gradually adding more and more ECUs, millions of lines of code, and hundreds of specialized suppliers and parts to the modern vehicle. But the current E/E architecture has reached its scalability limits. It can only be surpassed by a technological shift, which in turn creates even more challenges. The most important vectors of evolution for the new E/E architecture include the following:

Ethernet Backbone Moving from the CAN bus architecture to a modern high speed ethernet communication network.
Hardware Consolidation Consolidating multiple functions that are today served by separate ECUs into ECUs that are multi functional.
Wiring Optimization Consolidation of ECUs together with new topologies for the vehicle networks to reduce the needed cabling length, weight, and cost to a fraction of what it currently is.
Software Driven Service Oriented Architecture The vehicle software architecture is evolving towards a SOA architecture that can accommodate the needed flexibility, security and agility for the new software defined vehicles.

This new approach addresses scalability, enabling automotive manufacturers to meet new consumer expectations while reducing cost and overhead altogether. However, making so many changes all at once is a risky endeavor, but not one without rewards.

The emergence of zonal networks can be seen as part of a shift in the way the automotive industry conducts its business. What seems at first as an evolutionary step addressing technical problems, is in fact a change of the vehicle definition and its supply chain - enabling new business opportunities and redefining the traditional roles of the OEM and Tier 1. Below the reader will find a framing to:

Current state and limitations
Possible solutions
Challenges
Business opportunities
Industry implications

ZONAL ARCHITECTURE:
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