Batteries are heavy, and some premium equipment that
consumers want may run counter to lightweighting measures.
Suppliers could be caught in the middle.

Electrification is driving the greatest paradigm shift in the
automotive industry in more than a century. Modern battery electric
vehicle (BEV) powertrains are changing the way cars, trucks and
SUVs are designed, engineered, and manufactured. And one of the
biggest changes will be noticed by consumers the moment they sit
inside their new electric vehicle.

Most modern BEVs are built on what is described by automotive
engineers as a “skateboard” platform – in which a large, flat
battery pack fills the space between the front and rear axles and
stretches almost the full width of the bodywork above it. The
compact electric motors and related electronic hardware are mounted
directly at the front or rear axles – or at both, in the case of
all-wheel drive models.

Without the need to accommodate a bulky internal combustion
engine and transmission, plus driveshafts, a gas tank and an
exhaust system, this skateboard architecture allows for a larger
interior and flat floor, without increasing the overall size of the
vehicle’s exterior.

In simple terms, it gives automotive interior designers more
room to experiment with forms and materials, and to create more
sophisticated human-machine interface (HMI) systems. But this
period of transformation could create headaches for suppliers.

“Electrification offers automakers the opportunity to transform
the interior of a vehicle,” said Sascha Klapper, principal research
analyst at S&P Global Mobility.

Although vehicle performance is still a key selling point,
interior comfort and commodity are now designed to bring customers
the best experience possible while making the driving experience
easier, safer and more enjoyable.

Skateboards and hyperscreens

For example, the flat floor of skateboard-platform BEVs enables
innovations such as the moveable floor consoles seen in Hyundai’s
Ioniq 5 and the Genesis GV80. Mercedes-Benz is already offering “hyperscreens” that package three separate screens under a single
glass panel that stretches across the entire dash in its
electric-powered EQS and EQE models.

The latest generation of automotive touchscreens enable
ultra-high-quality graphics and close to video-game levels of
interactivity. More important for automakers, they also reduce the
need for physical buttons, which are expensive to make and add
weight and manufacturing complexity.

Some BEV automakers, notably Tesla, have already eliminated most
physical buttons from their interiors. But there remains some
evidence that consumers still prefer physical, redundant controls
for frequently used functions, rather than navigating menus on a
screen. Automakers believe voice activation and artificial
intelligence will reduce the need for both touchscreens and
physical buttons in the near future. Navigating this transition has
massive upstream investment consequences for suppliers of both
types of interfaces.

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The simpler control systems of electric powertrains will accelerate
the development of Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles.

This should also allow designers to dramatically reimagine the
interiors in such vehicles, including:

• Changing seating arrangements that have remained the same for
  more than a century;
• Deploying more and/or larger screens for in-vehicle information
  and entertainment;
• Creating more elaborate ambient lighting displays; and
• Rethinking the steering wheel.

But until Level 4 or 5 vehicles arrive, the automobile’s
interior layout must maintain a certain familiarity for crash-test
and user-interface purposes.

For instance, Tesla’s steering yoke, which debuted in 2022 on
the Model S, has drawn mixed reviews, particularly from expert
drivers who note that it is more difficult to use than a
conventional steering wheel. However, the yoke design makes it
easier to retract into the dash when not needed in an autonomous
vehicle; Audi, Honda, and Toyota, are experimenting with the
concept.

Adding lightness

The flip side of powertrain packaging efficiency is that
batteries are heavy, which means BEVs weigh significantly more than
similarly sized internal combustion vehicles. And though electric
motors are much more efficient than internal combustion engines,
that extra mass has a direct impact on vehicle range. So, how to
reduce weight elsewhere?

Seats, which are today among the heaviest non-mechanical
components in an automobile, seem an obvious target for weight
saving. But that may run counter to consumer preferences as well as
overall vehicle efficiency. Consumers have expressed desire for
many features now embedded in most luxury vehicle seats – such as
motorized adjustment, massage, and climate control. But all those
items add considerable weight.

However, seats with built-in heating and ventilation systems
reduce the load on BEV climate control systems – heated seats use
up to 12 times less energy than heating the entire cabin, for
example. This is another area where suppliers will face challenges
in creating lighter seats for BEVs when consumer desires may run
counter to OEM engineering and design trends.

“S&P Global Mobility research shows consumer demand for
seats with advanced comfort features such as powered lumbar and
massage functions will grow. And that adds weight, and cost,”
Klapper said. “Seats could be lightweighted by returning to the
basic three latch-releases for fore/aft, rake, and seat height,
while deleting heating and cooling elements. But that would not
meet customer expectations, creating a Catch-22.”

Fixed glass panoramic roofs are another emerging trend that is
likely to be accelerated by BEVs. Tesla offered a fixed panoramic
glass roof as an option on its Model S in 2016 and now has fixed
glass roof as standard on all its models. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is
another BEV with a fixed glass roof.

However, glass is heavier than steel – at least for now. In 2023
Tesla fitted a new glass roof that weighs less than the original,
lets in five times the light, while offering the same level of
ultraviolet protection. Consumers like the spacious feel
fixed-glass roofs provide to vehicle interiors, and research shows
demand for this feature is expected to almost double in the next
five years. For automakers, fixed glass roofs reduce both
complexity and cost compared with a regular movable sunroof.

Other interior components such as door panels will also become
lighter. Fabrics and vegan leather will offer lightweight
alternatives to animal-sourced leather and reinforce a growing
consumer preference for eco-friendly and sustainable interior
materials.

Then there is the sustainability equation. People who buy BEVs
tend to care about the environment, and therefore may be fond of
interiors from Volvo, Polestar, Hyundai, and Genesis BEVs that
feature materials made from recycled PET plastic bottles. Recycled
fishing nets are used to make floor carpets. The Ram 1500 BEV
pickup truck features apple leather, a by-product from the apple
industry, and floor mats made of recycled rubber and cork
particles. And Mazda – which started its life as a cork
manufacturer in 1920 – still uses cork, a naturally sustainable
material obtained without killing the cork tree, as a trim material
in its MX-30.

But vegan and recycled materials are still in the developmental
phase, which means they need to undergo rigorous testing to ensure
they can endure the life cycle of the vehicle. With the
average age of light vehicles on US roads at 12.5 years, vegan
products must be able to withstand the harsh and lengthy use
conditions to which they are submitted.

BEV powertrains will endow even mainstream electric vehicles
with levels of performance and refinement that were once the
preserve of luxury-badged models. In furthering that premium feel,
innovative interior design and functionality will become a key
differentiator in terms of a brand’s perceived value and
prestige.

Dive deeper into these Mobility insights:

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PREMIUM AUDIO ENTERS THE MASS MARKET

AS THE INDUSTRY GOES ELECTRIC, EXPECT A SUPPLIER SHAKEOUT

FOR MORE ABOUT INTERIOR COMFORT AND PASSIVE SAFETY

FOR MORE ABOUT SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

This article was published by S&P Global Mobility and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.

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• Source: http://www.spglobal.com/mobility/en/research-analysis/how-ev-platforms-and-technology-could-transform-auto-interior-.html