Digital Transformation in Automotive Industry

Automotive industry is getting accustomed to digital era. Brands like Mercedes Benz, which had been manufacturing cars since 19th century, have to reinvent the automotive technology again due to digitalization. Yes, we are about to witness autonomous cars powered by complex connectivity algorithms and sensors.

Digitalization has also caught up with other areas of automotive industry such as safety technologies, car buying process, car maintenance and enhanced manufacturing process. In this article, let us have a brief look at each one of them.

Transformation of Autonomous Cars

Diagram showing how sensors in Tesla model works

Elon Musk, the real-life Iron Man, is successful in making electric cars and semi-autonomous cars on the road. The ‘Tesla’ models with autopilot modes can park on itself and the company continuously tests advanced features, ultimately making cars as easy as using lifts in the future. All we need to do is, instruct the car’s digital computer, using voice command and we will reach our destination at optimal travel time and the shortest route possible.

Waymo and Uber, have already been testing autonomous cars. Uber, in particular, is looking at flying taxis that will transport people without a pilot. A test run was conducted in Dubai where the taxi transported the passenger for roughly 2.5 kms.

Augmented Vehicle Safety

Image shows how Volvo’s safety sensors predict collision

A decade ago, nobody thought that we would buy a car from a website. Not just that, car dealerships are hoarded with tablets for allowing customers to configure the cars digitally. To enhance the experience, we can expect virtual reality and augmented reality, to play a major role in sales and marketing.

Automated Instant Vehicle Maintenance

On-board computers, such as ECU (Engine Control Unit), have error logs using the service professionals can quickly diagnose and repair the car in less time. Tracking the maintenance status is also made easy. On Integration with mobile apps, the service centre can communicate with the customer about information such as current vehicle service status, bill details and delivery time.

Enhanced Manufacturing Process

Image showing how digitization can transform manufacturing process efficiently

Car manufacturing is a complex process, but with digitalization, the quality and efficiency has improved significantly. With vehicle assembly lines, having a mix of robots and humans, can manufacture more vehicles in less time.

Procurement of spare parts and supply chain management, are less challenging than before. This helps vehicle manufacturers to cut down cost and price their models competitively, thereby improving customer base and market share.

Conclusion

Digital revolution is enhancing human life by a huge leap. Auto industry, is adopting digital technologies in multiple arenas like autonomous vehicles, manufacturing, marketing and maintenance. This helps them keep with evolving trends in the digital world and provide an enhanced customer experience.

Digital Transformation in Automotive Industry was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.