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Published by MARTUR / Dergilik, 2018-12-27 07:11:39

Automotive_Interiors_world_OCTOBER-2018

Automotive_Interiors_world_OCTOBER-2018

I T’S N O T A N O T H E R M A G A Z I N E A B O U T I N T E R I O R D E S I G N !

WELL-BEING

Innovative ways OEMs
are creating harmony

within the vehicle cabin

SEATING

How future mobility
solutions are changing

the shape of seating

IAN CALLUM
EXCLUSIVE

Jaguar’s director of
design talks I-Pace and
the perfect car interior

Sustainable
textiles

Could recycled automotive
interiors help fix the world’s
plastic pollution crisis?

OCTOBER 2018

Expect the Best Quality

One Minivan
14 years
15 million parts
On time
In spec
No failures
No returns

www.reell.com +1 (651) 486-3333

cover CONTENTS
story
14
20
OPINION
FEATURE Leon Poultney
The plastic problem
Are consumers about to see a
Can auto makers help solve the turning point in the materials
world’s plastic pollution crisis OEMs use to upholster vehicles?
through recycled interiors?
16
4
OPINION
04 Alistair Charlton

FIVE THINGS 08 40 Ditching physical controls within
Jaguar I-Pace the cabin is causing confusion, but
TECH INSIDER could voice technology help?
The five best interior features of ZF’s Trendsetting
Jaguar’s new all-electric I-Pace Cockpit prototype 28

06 A re-imagining of what the interior OEM INTERVIEW
of the future could look like for Jaguar
TECH INSIDER delivery vehicles and robo taxis
Rolls-Royce Design legend Ian Callum reveals
Cullinan 12 all about the new I-Pace and what it
takes to create the perfect interior
A look inside the luxury marque’s DESIGN PROFILE
first-ever SUV and how its interior Ernst Reim, Ford 34
takes inspiration from its past
The chief of interior design at Ford FEATURE
Europe talks about his career and Going the distance
how vehicle interiors are changing
Taking inspiration from a range of
06 industries, car seating is becoming

more comfortable for the long haul

40

FEATURE
Inner peace

The changing landscape
of mobility is resulting in
innovation and technology
to create calmer cabins

/ 1OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

CONTENTS

48 60 58-63 EDITORIAL
62 Editor-in-chief: Dean Slavnich
SHOW PREVIEW CASE STUDIES
Automotive Products & Services Editor: James Billington
Interiors Expo 2018 Production editor: Alex Bradley
in Novi, Michigan 58 Reell Precision Chief sub editor: Andrew Pickering
60 MacDermid Enthone
A guide to the show in the USA, 61 Foam Expo Europe Deputy production editor:
where the world’s most advanced 62 3Con Nick Shepherd
cutting-edge technologies and 63 IHI Hauzer Techno Coating Senior sub editor:
concepts will be displayed
63 Christine Velarde
54 Sub editors: Tara Craig,
58
CONFERENCE Alasdair Morton
PREVIEW
Autonomous Vehicle CONTRIBUTORS
Interior Design & Alistair Charlton, Dan Gordon,
Technology Sam Petters, Chris Pickering,
Symposium Leon Poultney, John Thornton,
Richard N Williams, Illya Verpraet
64
DESIGN
Last Word Art director: Craig Marshall

Could a new lightweight seating Art editor: Ben White
technology revolutionize the Design team: Andy Bass, Anna Davie,
automotive industry?
Louise Green, Patrick MacKenzie,
FROM The plight of the world’s oceans is an issue that rightly is receiving plenty James Sutcliffe, Nicola Turner,
of attention. We’re trying to do our bit with this issue, so if you’re not Julie Welby

THE aware just how big the problem of plastic pollution literally is, just read PRODUCTION
EDITOR some of the staggering statistics in our feature on page 20. One figure puts Head of production and logistics:
the Great Pacific garbage patch alone at three times the size of France!
It’s hard for the guilt not to grow when you realize the number of plastic Ian Donovan
products that surround us each day. While fingers are being Deputy production manager:

pointed at single-use plastics, next time you sit in a car, look Robyn Murrell
Production team: Carole Doran,
around the interior and you’ll know why the auto industry doesn’t exactly have a clear
Bethany Gill, Frank Millard,
conscience. But awareness is the first step toward change, and car makers are fully George Spreckley

aware of the impact it’s had in the past. Circulation manager:
Suzie Matthews
At the recent Automotive Interiors Expo in Stuttgart, exhibitors were proud to make
ADVERTISING
noise about recycling initiatives and solutions of collecting ocean plastic to create Sales manager: Rob Knight

recycled components and textiles. This rallying effort from suppliers is the CEO: Tony Robinson
Managing director:
reason why the likes of Volvo, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, to name a few, are Graham Johnson
Editorial director: Anthony James
able to step up to help with the environmental quagmire we find ourselves in.
How to contact us
Volvo announced recently that all of its new cars from 2025 would be made Automotive Interiors World,
Abinger House, Church Street,
from 25% recycled plastics. Jaguar design legend Ian Callum, who speaks Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DF, UK

exclusively to AIW on page 28, even talks of the use of alternative materials +44 1306 743744
www.ukimediaevents.com
and textiles in the new I-Pace interior, and his fondness for them, despite
Subscriptions
admitting to being somewhat of a traditionalist. £85/US$110 for two issues

So in a strange twist of fate, the fallout from the global plastic pollution Published by
UKi Media & Events, a division of
problem is creating one of the most exciting eras for cabin design and its
UKIP Media & Events Ltd
materials. There’s a long way to go, but the collective effort might mean James Billington
we can sit a little more comfortably in cabins of the future. editor The views expressed in the articles and technical
papers are those of the authors and are not
2 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018 endorsed by the publisher. While every care
has been taken during production, the publisher
does not accept any liability for errors that may
have occurred. This publication is protected by
copyright ©2018. ISSN 2514-8982 (print)
ISSN 2514-8990 (online)
Automotive Interiors World.
Printed by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd,
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5 THINGS
4

ONE TWO 1

Of course, a car maker will talk up Central to all this is the all-new Touch THREE
its new product – that’s a given – but Pro Duo ‘flight deck’ infotainment
The HMI design features two
Jaguar design director Ian Callum system – in fact the I-Pace is the very touchscreens on the center console,
really, really loves the new I-Pace first Jaguar to feature this advanced designed to minimize driver distraction
interior: “We set out to design an by separating information and interactive
emotive and atmospheric interior technology. The system uses an controls logically. Rotary controllers
that excites the senses, where the innovative combination of touchscreens, provide an important physical connection
driver is central to the experience and
passengers are afforded the space they captive sensors and tactile physical between car and driver.
need. Being inside the I-Pace is to controls to operate key functions.
experience something special and that

is what Jaguar is all about.”

4 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

5 THINGS

2 Five things to know about the...
3
Jaguar I-Pace

Is the I-Pace the best Jaguar yet? Maybe. Or perhaps
it’s the most important Jaguar yet? Probably. One

thing’s for sure, though: it’s the finest battery electric
vehicle developed so far, with one of the industry’s
leading, most tech-advanced interiors

by Dean Slavnich

FOUR 5

The I-Pace’s range display is shown in FIVE
the instrument cluster and factors in
topography, real-time traffic data and I-Pace’s interior isn’t just a tech tour
climate control settings together with de force (although it also launches an
other variables to give an accurate real- Amazon Alexa Skill and is the first
world vehicle range. Nothing new there, Jaguar to receive software updates
but here’s the really cool part: this display wirelessly). It’s also a luxurious place
can be personalized to each individual
driver using Jaguar’s Smart Settings to be. Floating consoles, swooping
feature, which is driven by artificial lines, ambient lighting and super cool
intelligence algorithms and can show styling make up the basis of the I-Pace
the driver how much energy systems cabin, but the use of materials is just
such as climate control and heated seats as impressive. The seats, for example,
are using – and how much range can be are upholstered in either fine-grain

gained by switching them off. Windsor leather or the sustainable
premium textile alternative developed

by Danish textile experts Kvadrat –
a high-quality material that combines

a durable wool blend with recycled
technical suede cloth.

/ 5OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

ROLLS-ROYCE CULLINAN

JEWEL IN W hen Rolls-Royce decided The dash in the Cullinan has a double-
THE CROWN it wanted to join the SUV winged topper, which is inspired by the
party, the marque was heritage, but also feels very modern and
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is the typically refined in its fresh and has a practical side as well.
marque’s first ever SUV and comes arrival. To make sure that its company When you’re off-roading and the car is
with an interior that flaunts the latest values were reflected in a car that was going up and down steep hills, it creates
luxurious materials wrapped around more rugged and practical than any it much more shadow and shade over the
a design inspired by models from its past had made before, it took its time – five instrument dials,” says Hogg.
years, in fact, to perfect, from the first
BY ILLYA VERPRAET sketch to the finished vehicle. Another feature emphasizing the
Cullinan’s nod to Rolls-Royce models of
6 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018 The Cullinan (named after the old is the use of its newly developed box
largest diamond ever discovered) was grain leather. Referencing the trunks
unveiled in May 2018 and presented on the back of pre-war cars, which were
a ‘high-bodied’ vehicle with a modern covered in a more robust, textured
architecture and some of the most leather, the new leather, too, has
advanced in-cabin technologies of a deeper texture than the smooth
any SUV. However, its lead designer, hide you would typically find in
Douglas Hogg, reveals they actually a modern luxury car. But putting
went back to the brand’s heritage for a modern twist on the material comes
inspiration for the interior. courtesy of a new tipping process during
manufacture that gives the raised part
“We had some really iconic sedans of the leather a high-gloss finish.
from the 1950s and 1960s that had
a double-cowl dashboard and we To complement the new leather,
wanted to introduce a reference to that. Rolls-Royce has opted against the

ROLLS-ROYCE CULLINAN

RIGHT AND
BELOW Wood
is a familiar sight
inside a Rolls-
Royce and for the
Cullinan a high-
tech veneer made
from silver birch
wood was used,
to offer a fine and
delicate texture

LEFT Rolls-Royce
created a new box
grain leather for
its seats, with
a textured finish
that is more robust

ABOVE The high-gloss cabinet-type wood you which presented the opportunity to
Cullinan's dash has would traditionally expect in favor utilize the trunk like never before.
a double-winged of a fully open-pore, high-tech
topper inspired by veneer. The synchronous veneer is While the trunk space of most cars
its sedans from the a constructed veneer, with silver birch is a prosaic affair, in a luxury SUV it
1950s and 1960s wood sandwiched together and built up has to be more than that. The market
to create a fine, delicate texture. Hogg has already seen the likes of posh
describes the result as “striking, quite picnic hampers in Range Rovers and
Scandinavian and modern”. the Bentley Bentayga, but Rolls-Royce
goes one step further with its bespoke,
THIRD SPACE removable Recreation Modules that
Hogg reveals that working with the are integrated into the trunk and
Cullinan’s larger SUV-sized surfaces completely tailored to fit and facilitate
translated very well to create an impact. the owner’s lifestyle. Like the Phantom’s
dashboard art gallery, they are intended
“Applying the tenets of simplicity, as the model’s ‘hero feature’.
cleanliness and presence to an SUV
wasn’t as challenging as we anticipated. Any combination of modules can be
It was actually a fun and rewarding commissioned – offering compartments
process translating what you normally and storage for anything from skiing
expect in a low-slung sedan into an SUV equipment to shooting gear.
and bringing in a bit of practicality and
toughness with a few new features”. “We’re seeing a lot of interest and
uptake from customers and we’re
One of those new features was created looking forward to having more fun
by the SUV’s long roof and rear hatch, with their design. The world is your
oyster with the modules,” says Hogg.

/ 7OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

ZF TRENDSETTING COCKPIT

SPECIAL
DELIVERY

ZF’S TRENDSETTING COCKPIT PROTOTYPE
FEATURES NO STEERING WHEEL, NO PEDALS
AND A REVOLUTIONARY SEATING SYSTEM
THAT AIMS TO TRANSFORM THE FUTURE OF
INTERIOR DESIGN FOR DELIVERY VEHICLES,
TAXIS AND MOBILITY SERVICES

BY JAMES GORDON

8 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

ZF TRENDSETTING COCKPIT

B y 2021, in Germany alone, virtual perimeters, which its onboard
parcel delivery companies sensors would detect in real time via
are expected to process and a GPS signal, ZF believes that a vehicle
deliver more than four billion using its cockpit of the future would
packages a year to customers. As much perform as a Level 4 self-driving vehicle.
of the cargo being transported will
be by road, German company ZF has For Dr Steffen Jung, a project manager
developed a revolutionary ‘cockpit for in ZF’s Advanced Development division,
the future’ that could be applied to fully it is the removal of these conventional
automated delivery trucks, designed vehicle operating elements that holds
to enable operators to increase their the key to logistics fleets realizing even
productivity levels on the go. greater efficiencies.

Created with French supplier Faurecia, “Without the need for a steering wheel
the Trendsetting Cockpit interactive or pedals, light commercial vehicle
display prototype comes with neither makers will be able to reimagine how
steering wheel nor pedals. Instead, that extra space is utilized and therefore
those functions are handled by reconfigure the interior so that when
actuators controlled by the vehicle’s the vehicle is on autopilot, the cab also
artificially intelligent central computer. becomes the driver’s office,” says Jung.
The cockpit is equipped with three
screens on the dash, and a joystick, “We see commercial vehicle drivers
which the driver would only need to use using the extra space to plan delivery
in non-geo fenced areas. Within these routes, complete Proof of Deliveries [PoDs]
and to send invoices while using one of
the three screens from a seat that not

/ 9OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

Z F TTIRT EL EN D S E T T I N G C O C K P I T

LEFT Dr Steffen
Jung believes the
cockpit of the
future extends
beyond logistics,
and could be used
for robot taxis

“WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A STEERING WHEEL “Auto makers would no longer have
OR PEDALS, VEHICLE MAKERS WILL BE ABLE TO to produce vehicles solely for markets
REIMAGINE HOW THAT EXTRA SPACE IS UTILIZED” that drive on a particular side of the
road, which, potentially, could lead to
only conforms to vehicle safety large savings. As the control lever is
regulations, but is also ergonomically positioned in the center of the vehicle,
suited to the task at hand,” he describes. when driving manually, the driver could
simply switch seats, making it easier
SEATING DESIGN ABOVE Without to negotiate when driving on the other
A complete reimagining of interior a steering wheel or side of the road.”
design and the typical seating setup is pedals, a joystick
central to ZF’s vision of increasing the would be used to Having worked on developing
efficiency of delivery drivers, with the control the vehicle transmission concepts before deciding
company looking into altering the angle when required to specialize in the innovation of
of the seats so that they face outward. vehicle technology, Jung believes
of the airbags and ensuring that the that the benefits of the cockpit of the
“Delivery drivers often have to drop design conforms to the safety standards,” future extend way beyond the freight
off or collect parcels from a number of he admits. and logistics sectors, as new mobility
addresses on the same street. By angling services promise to offer passengers
the seat outward, ergonomically they CROSS COUNTRY a whole new way to travel.
don’t have to change their body position Jung, who has worked on e-mobility
when getting out of the vehicle to make and autonomous vehicles for the “The cockpit could be used heavily in
a delivery," Jung explains. past five years, explains that the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) sector,"
this groundbreaking, steering he says. “Pioneering robot taxi firms,
"Secondly, from a safety perspective, wheel-free technology and free for example, could take advantage of
given that they have a better view of the seating system could reduce the technology. Again, the cockpit
road, they can spot potential hazards complexity for OEMs and for allows automotive interior designers
more easily. Thirdly, the extra legroom large logistics operators whose to make the most of the newly found
achieved from removing the steering pan-European delivery routes space. Passengers could surf the web
and pedal unit will mean that drivers encompass both the UK and or use the space as a working hub. For
will spend far less time getting in and mainland Europe, which drive on longer journeys, and for larger taxis,
out of their vehicles.” opposite sides of the road to each other. it might also be possible to reconfigure
the seats to provide a sleeping cabin.
However, while Jung makes this However, as the seatbelt configuration
cockpit reconfiguration sound like would need to be redesigned, this
a relatively straightforward tweak very much depends on any new design
in engineering terms, in reality, many meeting stringent safety standards.”
of the factors that need to be considered
could prove problematic for Jung’s team.

“It is actually quite challenging
because it means adjusting the position

10 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018



DESIGN PROFILE

WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER IS NEW TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
MAKING YOUR JOB EASIER?
W PATH TO THE POSITION It’s making life far easier. In the past,
YOU CURRENTLY HOLD? you had to concentrate on the volume
After studying industrial distribution inside the car – how you place
the components correctly and ergonomically.
design, I started at But with these disappearing in favor of just
one screen, it is making our life far easier.
Volkswagen, where I was a designer for But then, there’s another focus on the final
execution on the fit and finish – how you
nearly five years – I was at Wolfsburg for four take it to the next level. We have to look
at the experience from the moment you
years and in California for a year, working on approach the door, to getting into the car
where a screen might come to the driver and
advanced design. For the past 17 years, I’ve communicate like a friend and offer anything
they need. The experience now becomes the
been at Ford, where I’ve worked on a lot of most important part. Software development
to make it safe is the challenge for the future.
production cars, starting with my first MPV
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CURRENT
and then the second generation of the Focus. CHALLENGES WITH YOUR ROLE?
There is a lot going on with consumer trends
I took the role of the head of the studio, for certain materials and you have to be
more critical with new materials because, for
responsible for the whole of Europe, which long-term use, they have to be more stable.
In fashion, you can buy something one year
was a great honor for me. I then took the and change it the next; for a car, you have a
minimum lifespan of three to five years, so
chief position, which I’ve held for 11 years. the materials have to last. We’re restricted
creatively when it comes to using more
WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORST ERNST REIM expressive materials and designs because of
ELEMENTS OF YOUR JOB? this. It’s fine in a show car, but when it comes
Ford is my home and it’s like a big family Chief interior designer, to production, we are often told we have
here. I’ve been able to select new team Ford of Europe to find something cheaper – but it’s often
members. It’s like working with your brothers not as attractive and you have to make a
or cousins. I love working here because it’s even a child could get in one on their own compromise. Yet over the years we’ve created
an open-minded company and very social. to go to their grandparents, for example, with a good balance and on some projects we’ve
What we’re planning for the future is going consent. How this is going to be controlled is been allowed to be a bit more adventurous.
to be fantastic. During my whole time here, a question, but users might be able to choose
the move to autonomous cars is the most the car they want, for example, by pushing WHAT CAR DO YOU CURRENTLY DRIVE?
exciting. It will change the way humans live. the Ford button from their smart device and Currently it’s the Ford Edge. I’m nearly 2m
We are going into an area that no one has in five minutes it arrives at the front door. It [6.5ft] tall, so it’s perfect for me as it’s a bit
believed we could get to before. It is fantastic will be automatically adjusted to the user’s higher and has a good seating position. It
to be a part of this and create the future. preferences such as ambient lighting, music, was a Mustang before – fantastic to drive and
the seating, or the equipment specification a lot of fun. It’s not all about its speed, but
WHAT WILL THE TYPICAL INTERIOR OF you want, such as different levels of in-cabin rather those eight cylinders and torque and
A CAR LOOK LIKE BY 2020? entertainment. Some will be more stripped- the sound it makes. It pushes boundaries.
We will still have cars you have to drive back as they will only be used for a short
yourself, but with, say Level 4. They will distance, but those for longer journeys will WHAT IS THE GREATEST CABIN THAT’S
have a lot of features that give you a chance have more space. There might even be more EVER BEEN PRODUCED?
to rest over long journeys, but you’ll still premium options that offer more comfortable I personally think that with the latest
have to have your eyes on the road. More seating and entertainment – similar to that generation of the Fiesta, we created the best
entertainment will be available and screen found in business class in airplanes. All this balance of premium feel, craftsmanship,
sizes will grow and some normal components is gradually coming together and it’s a nice material finish and execution. I love it.
such as the climate control unit on the dash story how OEMs are working on their own
will disappear. Tesla is showing it already vision. But the question is, how will everyone
[with the Model 3]. There will be a far cleaner find a singular solution to implement it in
appearance, with more focus on how we the shared car?
interact with the car.

HOW WILL LEVEL 5 CHANGE THE WAY
AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS ARE DESIGNED?
The big step-change will come between 2025
and 2030 when we go to full autonomous
with Level 5 cars. It will offer something new
with carsharing as everyone can own and use
a car – you won’t even need to be an adult;

12 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

ADVANTAGES OF MEET US
CROMATIPIC® AT BOOTH
NR. A434

PVD Coating

UV Lacquer

Plastic Substrate

ECO-FRIENDLY MANY PLASTICS FLEXIBILITY
TWO LAYERS DESIGN FREEDOM

OPINION: POULTNEY

Leon friendly approach means we Illustration: Phil Hackett
might finally begin to see
POULTNEY some textile innovation on shift in consumers’ tastes, the perception
the horizon. of luxury will move away from traditional
Freelance auto and tech scribbler for unsustainable materials and toward more
the likes of T3 and Stuff, and founder of A recent survey found that eco-conscious and considered fabrics.
Flatoutmag.co.uk, Leon is our eyes and the number of vegans in the
UK has rocketed to around Where Rolls-Royce once wowed visitors
ears when it comes to the very latest 3.5 million from to its Goodwood manufacturing facility with
automotive interior tech and innovation just 540,000 in 2016, so stories of its cows living at altitude to avoid
it seems understandable that mosquito bites, it might one day instead
B ack in the early 1920s, leather OEMs would try to appeal impress with alternatives to those archaic
was the ubiquitous material in to this emerging group of processes and show off materials fashioned
automotive interiors – there was conscious customers. from pineapple waste or aloe vera plants.
nothing particularly premium
about it. Manufacturers weren’t boasting Jaguar has done just Rolls-Royce calls the
about the quality of the cows from which that with its latest luxury interior of its 103EX
the hides were sourced and instead cloth product, the I-Pace. Buyers concept a Grand
upholstery was actually considered a luxury. of this groundbreaking Sanctuary – it features
Look at limousines from the 1920s to the EV will find there is no a sofa seat covered in
1970s and it is common that the driver’s leather specification on the opulent silk and wool
compartment was lined in leather for options list, rather Kvadrat’s
durability, while the passengers received premium wool-cloth and
sumptuous fabrics as a show of wealth. recycled plastic bottles-
So what changed, you ask? The based suede alternative,
commercialization of nylon in 1938 led to available as a cost option.
the widespread adoption of the material There’s also faux leather
in the automotive sector. However, luxury for those who can’t resist
brands, such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley, the feel of cow.
favored cow hides over mass-produced
material and as a result, leather garnered BMW walked a similar
a reputation for being the material of line when it launched its
choice for the wealthy. trendy i3 electric vehicle
It seems every brand is now grasping in 2014, with the German
for some semblance of ‘premium’ through manufacturer claiming
the use of leather, but the offering the car is 95% recyclable,
from manufacturers ranges wildly from and shunning plastics for
scratchy, vinyl-strewn stuff, to thin, pillowy natural kenaf fibers, other
products – and it’s getting a bit tiresome. plant-based materials and
Thankfully, consumers are feeling this wool. Despite the lack of leather, it still
overuse and pressure on manufacturers to feels like a luxurious product inside.
adopt a more considered, environmentally
Even Rolls-Royce, a manufacturer that
uses an eye-watering amount of the world’s
finest hides to trim its lavish vehicles,
revealed a futuristic 103EX concept car in
2016 that favored soft silks and beautifully
treated wool over tanned animal pelt.

With the growing adoption of vehicles
powered by alternative fuel and a cultural

The BMW i3 offers an
interior trim option
using natural fibers
such as kenaf, which
is 30% lighter than
conventional material

14 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

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OPINION: CHARLTON

Alistair There’s an argument that Illustration: Phil Hackett
you shouldn’t be playing
CHARLTON around with the radio while demanding task from a simple and safe
driving a big metal box spoken command.
Freelance journalist who writes for the at speed, but we didn’t
likes of Alphr and TechRadar, and when have these problems when Also, talking to your car carries far less
picking an album from social awkwardness than mumbling to Siri
not messing about with technology is the six-disc multichangers in public. Virtual assistants might not be
found driving everything from eco to of old, so why should the perfect answer just yet – especially given
exotic. Alistair is wired to how tech is newer, supposedly better, Silicon Valley’s liberal use of our data – but
technology take those if OEMs insist on replacing physical controls
changing the way we drive manual options away? with screens, which currently offer more
form than function, they also have a duty to
I t’s not every day that you ask The Range Rover invest in maturing voice-control technology
yourself if the heating controls Velar attempts to strike to give drivers an effective hands-free option,
of a car pose a safety risk, yet it a balance between which is not only smarter but safer, too.
seems to occur each time I step touchscreen vagueness
into a new model. As consumers want in- and physical control
car infotainment systems as responsive as tactility by incorporating
smartphones, we’re seeing the depletion both. Meanwhile, BMW’s
of dials and switches in favor of screens. gesture control technology
The Tesla Model S, with its enormous has drivers waving fingers
iPad-like touchscreen, looks great and around like Harry Potter
is brilliantly responsive – but it is soon to operate the audio system.
apparent how distracting such a system is It’s a solution of sorts, but
to the uninitiated. Just try poking around takes several hours of driving
with the air-conditioning while on the move to master and still requires
and see how vulnerable you feel. the driver to take a swift
Yet having driven several Teslas over the glance away from the road
years, I got used to it. Until I sat in a Tesla on occasion.
Model 3, that was. The muscle memory
I had developed was instantly redundant. Perhaps voice control
The entire instrument panel is condensed can offer a solution. Our
into a one-and-only display, centrally lives are full of increasingly
located on the dash, which moves the intelligent, voice-controlled
speedometer, navigation, HVAC controls virtual butlers, from Siri to Cortana,
and entertainment off to the side. A pair Bixby and Alexa.
of scrollers on the steering wheel help to
some extent with changing radio stations, A more basic version of this technology
but even simple things like adjusting the first appeared in the luxury saloon segment
following distance of the cruise control (a well over a decade ago, but OEMs are only
twist of a stalk previously) requires multiple just shouting about it now.
taps of the display and several seconds of
potentially perilous concentration. Manufacturers such as BMW, Ford,
Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen
have begun, or are working on, bringing
voice control to their new cars. At the
moment, its function is basic but one
day Alexa and her friends will be able
to seamlessly control every attention-

In 2005 Honda became Mercedes-Benz
the first automotive introduced its MBUX
manufacturer to equip system in 2018. Voice
its cars with speech control operates cabin
recognition technology functions and answers
for the satnav system basic questions

16 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

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ECO INITIATIVES

20 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

ECO INITIATIVES

INTERIOR MATERIALS ARE
COMING UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
AS AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS
SEEK TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY

BY CHRIS PICKERING

/ 21OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

ECO INITIATIVES

ccording to the University of California, plastics used in automotive applications ABOVE
Santa Barbara, it’s estimated that more has been going up steadily in recent The seats of Volvo’s XC60
than 75% of the 8.3 billion tons of years. Driven largely by the trend use PET fibers from
plastic that mankind has so far created toward lightweighting, it’s estimated plastic bottles. Old Volvo
is still with us as some form of waste – the average car could contain as much car seats were used to
much of it lying around as landfill or as 350kg (770 lb) of plastic by 2020. create sound-absorbing
clogging up the planet’s oceans. It’s material under the hood
one of the biggest environmental crises Traditionally the environmental cost
that humans and the rest of the animal of using plastics has been quite high. automotive materials – that’s going to
kingdom is facing – and the automotive They are oil-based materials, which happen. We think the industry ought
industry has a big part to play. require a substantial amount of energy to be recovering waste plastics from
to process. Then, when the vehicle disposable applications and putting
Aside from the obvious soft-touch comes to the end of its life they are not them into next-generation automotive
surfaces, most automotive fabrics always easy to recycle. component design.
and carpets are made from synthetic
polymers. Even on luxury vehicles “Many of us believe this is something “This is a really critical issue. It’s
where natural materials such as wood we created, my generation of plastics a matter for all of us, and for those
and leather abound, the chances are engineers created these materials of us who spend our lives in plastics,
that much of the underlying structure – and we didn’t pay enough attention whether composites, injection molding,
not to mention the various clips, fixings to explaining the end of life,” says thermoforming or films, we’ve got a job
and fasteners holding it all in place – Dr George Kellie, chairman of Kellie to do and we’ve got to get really clever
is synthetic. Solutions, a provider of innovative about taking these materials back and
product and application solutions. clearing up our oceans.”
It’s not hard to see why. Plastics have
a remarkably broad and attractive Kellie reveals that the manufacturing LEADING THE CHARGE
range of material properties. They of automobiles, which heavily uses BMW is looking into doing just this with
provide excellent impact absorption, the material, is both a contributor and a campaign it launched in early 2018
thermal and acoustic installation, wear potential solution to the environmental to collect and breakdown sea plastic
resistance and resilience. What’s more, problem of the tons of plastics that into granulates, which can then be
they’re cheap, easy to manufacture and enter the world’s oceans each year. used to create new car parts. Another
lightweight. As such, the percentage of supplier of interior components, Foss
“The ability to take waste plastics Performance Materials, which creates
and put them in the next generation of

22 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

ECO INITIATIVES

BELOW
More than
three-quarters
of the plastic ever
created still exists,
much of it now
in our oceans

Dr George Kellie, chairman,
Kellie Solutions

sustainable textiles for “WE’VE GOT TO GET REALLY
automotive application,

is using post-consumer CLEVER ABOUT TAKING
recycled plastic bottles THESE MATERIALS BACK AND
for its WhisperTex sound CLEARING UP OUR OCEANS”
damping material, which
itself can be fully recycled.

At present most plastics

are downcycled, either into

a lower grade material or

into an alternative form.

Volvo, for instance, recently

displayed an XC60 concept that might see a 5% or 10% drop in impact

ABOVE used PET fibers derived from recycled resistance. But if you then process
This specially built
XC60 has had several drinks bottles in its carpet fabric and that material and recycle it again the
plastic components
replaced with equivalents announced that it aims to use 25% subsequent reduction in properties
using recycled materials
recycled plastic in all of its new cars is negligible,” comments Dr Kylash
/ 21OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD
by 2025. There is, however, a push to Makenji, innovation manager at the UK-

create recycled plastics that can be based Warwick Manufacturing Group.

used in like-for-like applications. “You can design for that, for instance

“Generally there is a noticeable by fractionally increasing the thickness

reduction in properties the first time to maintain the impact resistance when

a material is recycled. For instance, you using a recycled material.”

/ 23OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

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ECO INITIATIVES

The biggest gains in recyclability are WHAT A WASTE
often to be had before the vehicle even
enters production. In recent years One of the biggest challenges with plastics is disposal. The
the idea of the circular economy has comparatively low value of recovered material and the complexities
gained traction, with manufacturers of recycling it have led to an estimated 272 million tons being
looking to simplify the recycling dumped every year. This can take anything up to 1,000 years to
process and maximize the amount of degrade in landfill, but that’s only half the problem. As much as 12
material that can be recovered once million tons is thought to end up in the oceans each year. That’s the
the car is scrapped. equivalent of one full-size trash truck every minute.

“The first question is always ‘Can we Much of this debris floats out to sea and finds itself trapped in
go for a mono-material?’” says Kellie. great circular currents known as gyres. The largest of these is the
“In the past we’ve tended to have Great Pacific Garbage Patch, roughly halfway between Hawaii and
mixed-material composites, which can California. Estimates of its size vary, but a recent survey concluded
be difficult to recycle, but anything it now covers 618 million square miles (1.6 billion square kilometers)
like polyethylene, polypropylene or – roughly the size of Alaska, or three times the size of France.
polyester has an intrinsic reuse value
if it’s in a mono form.” Later this year a Dutch organization plans to begin trapping this
debris with a giant floating pontoon. Using a sea anchor, it is hoped
Anything that helps to limit the that the 600m long (2,000ft) system will traverse the ocean more
variety of materials used or keeps slowly than the plastic around it, thus acting as a giant net. Boats
them physically separate gives you will periodically collect the waste, with the organization hoping to
an instant head start, Kellie explains. have cleared 90% of the patch by 2040.
The second thing, he notes, is to
design for disassembly: “You want to points out, as well as reducing gaps that
make it easy to remove the component could otherwise cause noise leakage.
cleanly. If the component is bonded in
a way that makes it hard to remove or NEW MATERIALS
in such a way that it comes out with
the glue still attached, then it becomes In some cases it’s possible to swap plastic
harder to recycle.” materials for sustainable, naturally
occurring alternatives. The BMW i3,
Reducing the use of adhesives for instance, uses a biocomposite based
generally has an additional benefit. Not on kenaf fibers from the mallow plant
only can they potentially complicate extensively for its interior surfaces. Not
the recycling process, but they also risk only does this provide a substitute for
introducing volatile organic compounds petroleum-based materials, but it is
(VOCs). Clever shaping of components also said to be up to 30% lighter than
can help to limit the amount of glue and conventional alternatives.
the number of fixings required, Kellie
Elsewhere numerous other options
ABOVE are being considered, including the
A BMW i3 use of seaweed and other algae.
partly covered These are abundant, fast growing,
in recovered natural materials that offer diverse
sea plastic properties, as Mick Bradley, production
director at Envisage Concept Design
LEFT and Engineering, explains: “These
BMW will use materials can be flexible or rigid; they
granulates made can be molded, produced as sheets or
from sea plastic 3D printed. That means the vehicle
to create new of the future could contain seaweed
car parts flooring with 3D-printed algae seating.

/ 25OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

ECO INITIATIVES

Algae even filter CO2 and have therefore for car interiors, but manufacturers are wool-blend fabric with a technical
suede cloth made from recycled PET.
been suggested for material that could starting to see a backlash against using Notably, this retails for a significant
premium over the standard-fit
actually produce ‘negative emissions’.” animal products. What’s more, in key natural leather. It is also said to
offer superior physical properties,
Bradley also points to a host of other new markets such as China, natural including reduced heat retention
and a grippier surface texture
natural materials with the potential to leather doesn’t have quite the same (which prevents passengers
from sliding during cornering).
displace plastics, including Solidwool, premium connotations and its smell is
Whatever materials and processes
cork, Paper-wood, BioTex Flax, Malai sometimes considered unappealing. are employed in the future we will likely
see a concerted effort to reduce the
(made from bacterial cellulose) and As a result, a lot of manufacturers uptake of single-use plastics. By 2040
the environmental impact of producing
Piñatex (made from pineapple leaves). are working on premium alternatives. each vehicle could exceed even its
lifetime CO2 emissions. And by then
But it’s not just plastics that designers Instead of mimicking the look and there will be two billion cars on the
road… It’s easy to see how the use
have in their sights. Natural leather has feel of natural leather – which can be of materials could well become the
next big issue.
long been considered a premium choice done very effectively with PVC-based

materials – these new

“THE VEHICLE OF THE FUTURE COULD alternatives are making
CONTAIN SEAWEED FLOORING WITH their eco credentials
a selling point. Jaguar
3D-PRINTED ALGAE SEATING” Land Rover, for instance,
now offers a seat covering
developed by Danish textile
company Kvadrat, which

combines a highly durable

Among the natural
materials that
could displace
plastics are Malai
(left), cork (below)
and Solidwool
(below left)

ABOVE
Mick Bradley,
production director
at Envisage
Concept Design
and Engineering

26 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

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OEM INTERVIEW / JAGUAR

28 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

OEM INTERVIEW / JAGUAR

The

Ian Callum, director of design at Jaguar,
has helped create the most forward-thinking

vehicle in the company’s history – the
all-electric I-Pace. He reveals the design
advantages of working with the futuristic
vehicle and why it’s important for the interior

to keep traditional values at its heart

real

BY JAMES BILLINGTON

deal

/ 29OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

OEM INTERVIEW / JAGUAR

BELOW
Design sketches of
the I-Pace interior
stayed true on the
production model
with a cab-forward
layout and floating
center console

ABOVE
Greater interior
space is offered up
as a result of having
no transmission
tunnel or gas tank

For Jaguar’s director of design, Ian sent his own sketches of concept Jaguars and bit by bit, see what came out in
Callum, when it came to the possibility to the company in the hope of landing terms of its overall layout. The secret
of crafting the company’s first electric a job. He eventually took up his post was to create from that layout – which
vehicle, it wasn’t a matter of if, but just over 30 years later, and has now potentially could have been very static
when. The affable Scotsman, who has designed one of the most revolutionary and quite boring – some drama and
been creating transformative designs vehicles in Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) visual dynamic.”
for the luxury car brand since 1999, illustrious history. The marque’s vision
knew he was destined for the lead role to create the I-Pace sees it becoming the As a result of having no engine, the
ever since he set eyes on an XJ6 when first of the traditional major automotive I-Pace takes on a different profile
he was just a young boy. At just 14 he brands to produce a premium EV. to other typical SUVs and offers an
exterior layout that is fundamentally
As the automotive industry changes, different for Callum to take advantage
the philosophy of JLR’s design, and how of. Notably, it has a low hood, which
Callum creates its next generation of contributes to its raked, compact and
electric vehicles, is also evolving, which aerodynamic shape; on the inside, the
he admits is incredibly exciting as it lack of transmission opens up more
gives him far more canvas to work with. space. However, Callum reveals he
was surprised that the effects of going
“It was hugely liberating,” Callum electric did not offer more opportunity
says, as he talks about creating the for its interior.
design of an EV from scratch. “We knew
it would be because we’d looked at other “It wasn’t as vast a change as we
electric car companies and could see the hoped. The basic layout of the front
opportunity and freedom. We started cockpit is not that dissimilar to what
developing I-Pace and thought we’d we’re used to because the components
approach it with our typical principles, of the dashboard – the airbag setup,

30 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

“YOU HAVE TO BRING OEM INTERVIEW / JAGUAR
DISCIPLINE AND ORDER
TO MAJOR CONTROLS AND the HVAC, TFT screens – are
TACTILITY INTO THE CAR” fundamentally the same,” he says.

“The big difference comes with the
depth as the lack of tunnel means you
can maximize the movement and use
within the car. There’s more stowage
in the center console for example, and
there’s some beneath the rear seats as
there’s no petrol tank. You do liberate
space that has normally been confined.
Traditionally, there’s something
underneath every surface in a car –
they’re dense with componentry.”

DISPLAY OF AFFECTION
While form stays fundamentally the
same, it’s the introduction of new
technology and its function that puts
the I-Pace’s interior on another level.

A new Touch Pro Duo infotainment
system is located in its center console,
offering two HD touchscreens supported
by large rotary dials for an intuitive and
tactile package. Callum has a romance
for tactility and is of the opinion that
switches and dials still remain an
important HMI presence in the cabin,
despite being in an era where ditching
dials for large displays is de rigueur.

“This subject alone is worthy of a huge
amount of debate. A large touchscreen
offers a great opportunity to display
a lot of information and its features
are great from a marketing and sales
perspective, but how it’s controlled is
down to the design team,” explains
Callum. “I’m under a lot of pressure
to simply take a tablet and double it up
as a control unit that does everything
in a car. Engineers love that too as it

/ 31OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

OEM INTERVIEW / JAGUAR

“WE’RE GETTING BACK TO OUR
OLD-FASHIONED VALUES OF
MATERIALS THAT REALLY MATTER”

means they don’t have to pay for all the horizontal placement happened almost
switches, but I don’t agree with it. Some by accident, but I love its ergonomic
functions, such as seating control, can awareness – it just falls to the hand. As
be overly complicated and be a slower human beings, we do not want to give
process than simply using physical that up,” he believes.
controls. Alister Whelan, who is our
chief interior designer, and I are totally SCOTCH GUARD
aligned on this. You have to bring some One particular change of direction for
sort of discipline and order to major JLR and Callum involves the reassessing
controls and some tactility into the of the materials used for the marque’s
car. Some people view this as being old interiors and looking to its past for
fashioned as it doesn’t have a big screen, inspiration to enhance their quality,
but I think it’s a better solution and I which he admits may have lost its way
will continue in that direction for as over recent years.
long as I can,” he adds.
“Jaguar has always been about
Callum has been pivotal in turning materials, but if we take the immediate
the Jaguar brand around from well-worn past, what we’re acutely aware of is that
clichés of being most commonly found in order to meet certain cost criteria
at golf club parking lots, to instead we took our interiors to places they
a more desirable luxury brand that’s shouldn’t have been. We are resolving
now a regular sight on the driveways that. In the next generation of cars
of celebrities and sports stars. He has from Jaguar, including facelifts, we
applied his design attributes of beauty will remedy this. What we’re really
and simplicity, which he honed during embracing now is getting back to our
11 years at Ford from 1979 to 1990, and old-fashioned values of materials that
then a further nine at TWR, on the really matter,” he says.
likes of the XK, XF, XJ and the stunning
F-Type, which arrived in 2013.

It is the last of these that he uses
as a perfect example of why he has a
penchant for keeping physical buttons:
“A lot of people who look at the interior
of the F-Type with all its switches think
it reflects another era, but I really like
it. I’d hate to replace them all with
a touchscreen. The nicest switch in
the F-Type is the volume control. Its

32 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

OEM INTERVIEW / JAGUAR

Exploring alternative materials for
interior trim is one area that excites
Callum, in particular the use of a
premium wool blend and a suede-like
cloth made from recycled plastic bottles
developed by Danish company Kvadrat.
It’s also found within the cabins of
Range Rovers, but Callum is quick to
jokingly point out that Jaguar had as
much to do with its development as
Land Rover.

“We’re really putting more emphasis
now into materials and what you’re
seeing with the I-Pace interior is not
just the presence of leather and wood
and carbon, but also Kvadrat and non-
animal-based materials. I think they’re
really cool, they have a lovely texture to
them,” he says.

BELOW CULTURAL DIVIDE “With so much time being spent in
Callum believes Callum explains that consumer trends the car, we’re becoming so much more
drivers shouldn’t play a major factor in the design process, sensitive to the infotainment system,
be bombarded by and with demand for more features in the materials and the way we operate
digital information the cabin, he is very keen to stress that things than we were 10 or 15 years
so tries to keep the most effective overall offering is not ago. The secret for me is to try to keep
design simple overly complicated. it simple and not overwhelm with too
much information.
“People are very aware and very savvy
of what’s out there and what they want “We used the word ‘detox’ quite a lot
in the car, whether that is comfort, in terms of the setup of our interiors –
materials or connectivity,” he says. meaning we do not over-burden owners
with digital information. I can see the
trend returning for a more tactile setup,
where people will want a digital detox,”
he explains.

Keeping it simple is easier said
than done, especially when rival
OEMs are participating in a game of
oneupmanship when it comes to in-
car technologies and, as importantly,
customers expect more of a digital
offering on boundary-pushing vehicles
such as the I-Pace. Despite his affinity
with traditional elements within the
cabin, Callum does reveal that Jaguar
has some exciting innovations in the
pipeline, including connectivity and
capability, that are as much for the
passengers as the driver. “We’ve got a
whole new architecture being designed,
but that’s all I can say. Once it’s all
there, we have to calm it down and make
sure we don’t overwhelm occupants.”

/ 33OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

LONG-DISTANCE COMFORT

34 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

LONG-DISTANCE COMFORT

Going the
distance

CAR SEATING MANUFACTURERS ARE
TAKING INSPIRATION FROM A WIDE
RANGE OF INDUSTRIES TO PROVIDE

COMFORT FOR THE LONG HAUL

BY RICHARD N WILLIAMS

LEFT Long car journeys can be torturous on “Comfort is very personal. You have
The Faurecia the body, which is why the seat, while to understand the morphology, the
Parrot Automotive seemingly simple in form, has an array people who are driving, the foam,
Amazon Accenture of advanced systems and technologies the structure – if the structure is too
uses voice-activated beneath the surface, fundamental for narrow and you are sitting on hard steel,
control for seat providing much-needed comfort. you are going to feel that,” says Endrud.
comfort, navigation
and infotainment As higher degrees of autonomy arrive, The correct seat position is fundamental
particularly aimed at long-distance for long-term comfort, but not all
travel, the very concept of a driving seat vehicle architecture makes this easy.
may be set to change. Inspired by other
transportation methods, seat design and “If the original vehicle package does
materials are evolving. not allow comfort, you will be chasing
it forever. You need the right profile for
“Long-haul [autonomy] will come the vehicle,” explains Endrud. “Firstly,
first,” claims Nik Endrud, Faurecia the seat’s structure is fundamental for
Seating VP of innovation and strategy. absorbing energy.”
“Autonomy is easier on the freeways
and highways. Once we can go hands- Vehicle seat structure generally
and mind-off driving, we are going to consists of the track for adjusting the
want to do other things: sleep, work, distance away from the steering wheel,
socialize. We are looking at different the frame and mechanisms, cushioning
use cases in these areas.” (usually foam) and the head restraints,
which are crucial for safety, especially
Before this, Endrud recognizes that in a rear-end collision.
there are a number of parameters
to consider – the most important An industry that Endrud and his team
of which is comfort. have examined is commercial trucking,

“Car seats have come a long way, from
just planks of plywood to foam, and now
we have incredibly highly engineered
active safety, health and well-being
systems. It is tremendous,” he adds.

/ 35OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

LONG-DISTANCE COMFORT

where long-distance driving is the ABOVE ABOVE
norm. “We can learn from trucks and The all-new Recaro Long-distance
their long-term impact of vibration on performance seat driving exposes
comfort,” reveals Endrud. platform (RPSP) truck drivers
to a range of
Truck drivers experience an array of RIGHT health problems
problems associated with long-distance The RPSP has
driving, including long-term damage to a visible carbon- RIGHT
the spine and musculoskeletal problems, fiber woven Seat suspension
as well as an array of other symptoms backrest structure systems, such
ranging from stiffness and fatigue, as this one from
to headaches and nausea. So there is a trade-off with showroom Bostrom, isolate
comfort and long-term comfort.” drivers from
“Truck seat manufacturers focus on road vibrations
the seat suspension systems,” says Seating manufacturer Recaro specializes
Endrud. “These isolate the occupant in seats for high-performance vehicles
from vibration from the road, which and the aftermarket, thus doesn’t trade
in the long term is really bad for you. long-term comfort for showroom appeal.

“We don’t have space in passenger “A seat may be soft, it may feel great,
cars to put in under-seat suspension but after 5km (3 miles) that softness
systems, but we can dampen these fades,” says Kai Krueger, director of
frequencies using foam, and we do have automotive seating at Recaro.
advanced innovation projects looking
at suspension systems,” he says. Frank Beerman, head of design, adds:
“When people first sit in a Recaro seat,
TRADE-OFF they note that it’s hard, not soft. But
Polyurethane foam is the last line of after several kilometers of driving they
defense against vibration in a passenger realize it is better. OEMs may have a great
car, but while vehicle manufacturers design team that can design a wonderful
desire a plush cushioning finish looking seat, but that doesn’t always
to enchant customers, it doesn’t mean the seat is comfortable.”
necessarily reflect that it will hold
up over a long-distance journey. Krueger explains that, for Recaro, the
most important aspect to long-term
“Foam comes in different densities seat comfort is in the seat’s shape:
and formulations for different demands, “The contour must follow the shape of
such as acoustic absorption, energy the human body and not the designer’s
absorption or comfort,” explains idea. This is what gives the comfort, not
Endrud. “You want a soft, cushy feel just the thickness of foam.”
to help sell a car, but that doesn’t mean
it will be comfortable in the long term. In fact, while Recaro uses foam to
help cushion specific areas of the body,

36 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

LONG-DISTANCE COMFORT

“WE CAN LEARN FROM
TRUCKS AND THEIR

LONG-TERM IMPACT OF
VIBRATION ON COMFORT”

/ 37OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

LONG-DISTANCE COMFORT

SIMULATING “THERE IS A TRADE-OFF
SUCCESS WITH SHOWROOM COMFORT
AND LONG-TERM COMFORT”
OEMs are aware that in-
vehicle factors other than BELOW it does not use it as a major seating While OEMs and seat manufacturers
seating play an important Simulia PowerFlow material. “OEMs use foam to cover the cannot design individual seats for
role in comfort. Cabin helps engineers whole seat,” says Krueger. “And the frame everyone, the mechanical alignment
temperature is a crucial evaluate product is often not contoured for the body.” components of a seat allow fine-tuning.
area of focus for engineers, performance in the
as keeping passengers cabin even before “If you feel uncomfortable, it is highly “Every human body is different,” says
comfortable can be costly prototypes are built likely it is because the contour is not Beerman. “Every seat we develop is
in terms of battery power. fitting you properly,” adds Beerman. built for a medium-sized human. To
“Your muscles have to work to keep you adapt for other sizes of people, you need
Simulia PowerFlow, in the same position, which causes fatigue adjustments in alignment – bolster
a cabin temperature simulation and that feeling of aching muscles. If the support, lumbar support and headrest,
software from Exa, has seat fits properly, you won’t get this.” although we prefer a fixed headrest as
been developed to perform it is crucial to safety and people often
simulations that accurately RACING STRIPES don’t get it at the right height.”
predict real-world conditions, Recaro’s involvement in motorsport
including cabin temperature. means it can draw on experience from FINAL DESTINATION
the most intense form of long-distance With the automotive industry looking
“It starts off with all the driving: endurance racing. to developments in the trucking sector
inputs: the cabin geometry, and motorsport seating, what the future
the human geometry, the “We create seats for 24-hour racing,” has in store for passenger car seating
airflow, temperature and flow says Beerman. “They are much more is an exciting prospect. Designers are
evolution, and travel time,” adaptable than sprint race seats. We sketching wild visions of everything
says Adrien Mann, director of have cushioning in various areas, from mobile offices to lounges, but
climate control at Exa. lumbar support to help those who one of the most achievable ideas yet
have a problem with their back, and comes from Chinese automotive startup
Using all these inputs, adapt the entire seat for one body.” company Byton, which at CES 2018
the software predicts how debuted an electric crossover concept
comfortable a human featuring seats that incorporate the
passenger will be on a long world’s first swivel function.
journey. “We have a human
comfort module that Supplied by Faurecia, the swivel
simulates the layers of skin, seat concept could, believes Endrud,
the bones and the thermal provide new interior configurations in
behavior of the human body, autonomous vehicles. “It is easier to
and you get reliable skin socialize if occupants can turn to each
temperature,”Mann says. other, and swiveling the other way
helps in getting in and out of the vehicle.
Simulia PowerFlow not
only simulates the impact of “We look everywhere for inspiration.
the flow of air from the car’s From advanced materials science, to
heating and air-conditioning, the medical industry for health and
but also the effect of the sun well-being, to just sitting on an airplane
as it tracks across the sky. and seeing how they have done things.
I want our seats to be as comfortable,
“From a starting safe and light as they can be.”
temperature, you can know
exactly what level of comfort
somebody will experience
in that cabin, so you can
improve local comfort, such
as the legs or back.”

As more electric cars
roll-off production lines,
Mann says this technology
is proving crucial for cabin
design, helping vehicle makers
develop the most efficient
systems possible, saving 20-
40% of the battery use.

38 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

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CABIN COMFORT

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40 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

CABIN COMFORT

NEW APPROACHES TO MOBILITY
ARE PROMPTING THE AUTOMOTIVE
INDUSTRY TO RE-EXAMINE THE WAY

IT APPROACHES COMFORT AND
PASSENGER WELL-BEING

BY CHRIS PICKERING

/ 41OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

CABIN COMFORT “MOST PEOPLE SWITCH ON THE ABOVE
TV OR A GAMES CONSOLE TO RELAX. The BMW 7-Series’
hey call it the BRINGING THAT EXPERIENCE INTO Vitality Programme
third space. THE CAR HASN’T REALLY BEEN is an active training
After the home FULLY EXPLORED YET” program pushing
and work, the passengers to work
car is where we Carl Gotham, design director, SAIC against resistance
spend most time. in the seat
The concept of
wellness in the
car is as old as
the automotive industry itself, at least
where basic comfort is concerned. But
it has become increasingly important in
recent years, as Carl Gotham, UK design
director at SAIC, explains: “Well-being
is something that everybody’s talking
about. It’s a huge area of potential, with
new technologies coming in and new
concepts such as autonomy. Interior
design is set for a revolution.”
Seating is a well-established area
where modern systems can be used
to improve passenger well-being. The
process of shifting posture is central
to comfort on long journeys, explains
Dr Cyriel Diels, academic director at
the UK’s National Transport Design
Centre. “There’s a famous saying that
the most comfortable position is the
next position. One interesting area to
investigate is the concept of seating
systems that automatically change
posture slightly every so often. That
could have a lot of potential.”
Strong anecdotal evidence supports
the effectiveness of massage seats, and
BMW has taken this a step further on
the 7-Series, with an interactive exercise
program designed to mobilize the
muscles of the back and shoulders. Many
more OEMs, including VAG, PSA and
JLR, are introducing massage functions,
as well as some even offering built-in
car fragrances with specifically tailored
notes to suit in-car mood settings.

FEELING GOOD
One of the most intriguing themes is
that of closing the loop on passenger
comfort by using various methods to
infer the emotional and physical state
of a car’s occupants.

“A lot of people use wearable devices
that monitor their physical activity,
including sleep patterns,” says Gotham.
“Similarly, interior systems such as eye
monitoring and even voice recognition
can give an insight into the driver’s
level of alertness. And with smart

42 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018

CABIN COMFORT

“WE CAN LEVERAGE
THE MUSICAL

EXPERIENCE TO
ALTER THE DRIVER’S
EMOTIONAL STATE”

Chris Ludwig, vice president,
EPIC experience team, Harman

BELOW fabrics, there’s no reason why the car playlist choices and the audio settings to
Harman’s itself couldn’t function as a wearable.” rise in energy as the journey unfolds.”
MoodRoof
can choose Studies have shown the correlation The concept depends on integration
a themed display between heart rate and emotional with external data feeds, but the
for the driver stress, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. algorithm at its heart is already
The tricky part of biometrics is giving production-ready. And while Harman’s
observations context, as Diels points: concept focuses on the audio
“Comfort is multifaceted so very hard to experience, there’s no reason why the
monitor. Something like heart rate or principle couldn’t be applied to other
galvanic skin response is sensitive to a interior functions, such as mood lighting,
lot of factors and it’s not always easy to HVAC systems or massage seats.
say if a change is positive or negative.”
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Despite its complexities, the idea “Ventilation systems have tended to rely
of using interior systems to influence on old technology,” says SAIC’s Gotham.
well-being is rapidly gaining traction. “It’s typically just an HVAC unit and
Infotainment specialist Harman, for some holes in the fascia. As the other
instance, recently unveiled a concept interior systems evolve – specifically
known as Music Motivator, which can things like larger display screens taking
tailor the in-car audio experience based up more room on the IP – I think we’ll
on calendar synchronization, GPS route see some more innovative solutions.”
analysis and biometric data.
Tesla, for instance, has unveiled
“Knowing where the car is going, we a system with a pair of slit-like vents,
can leverage the musical experience running the length of the dashboard,
to alter the driver’s emotional state,” that generate two intersecting planes
explains Chris Ludwig, vice president of air. By varying the flow, the system
of Harman’s EPIC experience team. deflects the air stream vertically, while
a set of internal vanes directs its path
“One example would be driving to an laterally. This improves air distribution
early-morning gym session. Initially the in the cabin while simplifying the layout.
experience would be fairly mellow, but
the system would customize both the

/ 43OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

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CABIN COMFORT

LEFT AND ABOVE
Ford’s Buzz Car
concept uses wearable
technology to track
driver engagement.
Although intended to
be fun it highlights
more serious research

GOOD SENSE The cabin surfaces also have a role
to play in heating and cooling, as Diels
A number of OEMs, including Ford and Jaguar Land Rover, have points out: “The HVAC system is the
experimented with sensors mounted in the seats to detect heart rate. biggest draw on the battery and most
Last year Mercedes unveiled a concept that used sensors embedded in systems tend to be extremely inefficient
the steering wheel to monitor the driver’s brainwaves, with strong hints at the moment. If, for instance, you
that something along those lines could enter production. warm up the touchpoints, you can
achieve the same comfort level at
Researchers at Ford’s Innovation Center in Aachen, Germany, are a lower overall cabin temperature. Plus,
among those looking into this topic, using wearable devices to measure you can create more localized thermal
the stimulation of candidates driving a series of test vehicles. While zones for the individual passengers.”
much of this work focuses on reducing unwanted stress, they also
point out that moments of increased stimulation contribute to Features such as heated steering
a healthy psychological balance. wheels are nothing new, but there is
a move toward extending this philosophy.
“A roller coaster may be good for a quick thrill, but it’s not Jaguar Land Rover, for instance, has
great for getting you to work every day,” says Dr Harry Witchel, trialled the use of infrared panels in
discipline leader in physiology at Brighton and Sussex Medical School the sun visors, doors and transmission
in the UK. “This study shows how driving a performance car does tunnel to radiate heat. The effects of
much more than get you from A to B – it could be a valuable part the Warm Air Blanket could be felt
of your daily well-being.” immediately and early tests suggest
it could reduce the consumption of
Ford included LED panels on the side of the car to show moments an HVAC system by half.
of heightened stimulation. A light-hearted move perhaps, but it
illustrated the benefits of positive stimulation as well as reduced stress. NEW FRONTIERS
The car industry is preparing for
“THE HVAC SYSTEM The new ventilation system comes hot perhaps its biggest ever shake-up –
IS THE BIGGEST DRAW on the heels of another Tesla feature – the autonomous driving. Full SAE Level 5
ON THE BATTERY AND dramatically named Bioweapon Defense autonomy may be decades away, but
MOST ARE EXTREMELY Mode. It introduces high-efficiency many of the same principles apply to
INEFFICIENT AT particulate air (HEPA) filters, which conditional automation, which could be
THE MOMENT” claim to offer a step-change in interior with us soon. In essence, we’re all going
air quality, with owners being able to to spend a lot more time as passengers –
“survive a military-grade bio-attack by even if we’re in the driver’s seat.
sitting in your car”. Similar in design to
the filters used in hospital quarantine
rooms, they are said to catch particles
down to 0.3µ – preventing most
bacteria, and even some viruses, from
entering the cabin’s air system.

/ 45OCTOBER 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD

CABIN COMFORT

“ONCE YOU’RE A PASSENGER
YOU BECOME MORE SENSITIVE
TO ELEMENTS SUCH AS NOISE,
TEMPERATURE AND RIDE COMFORT”

ABOVE “Once you’re a passenger you become when they want to relax. Bringing that
MG’s E-Motion more sensitive to elements such as noise, experience into the car is an area that
electric vehicle temperature and ride comfort. It’s likely hasn’t really been fully explored yet.”
should be in the requirements for these systems will
production be tougher than today,” notes Diels. Just as smartphones unlocked the
by 2020 phenomenon that is mobile gaming,
There’s also the anxiety caused by cars could be the next platform, he
46 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018 relinquishing control – particularly with predicts: “A number of theme parks now
autonomous driving in its infancy. have roller coasters with virtual-reality
A vehicle can help here, Diels points out, headsets that work in parallel with
by demonstrating situational awareness the motion of the ride. You could do
– for instance, using augmented reality something similar with the car. The same
or haptic feedback to illustrate its principle could be used for educational
decision-making processes. purposes – perhaps using positioning
software and external cameras to show
Similar technology could also be key landmarks and areas of interest.”
incorporated into entertainment
systems, Gotham says: “Most people Harman has also investigated the idea
will switch on the TV or a games console of harnessing motion with its Moodroof
concept, which uses a 55in QLED display
in place of a traditional sunroof. This can
present a dynamic virtual environment,
such as trees passing overhead or even
fish moving through an aquarium.
The company’s Dynamic Sound Stage
system takes a similar approach to audio
design by subtly altering the sound
staging to follow the vehicle’s motion.

Concepts like this may take time
to filter through, but they show that
there’s still plenty of scope to optimize
the in-car experience – helping to
ensure that traveling by car might be
good for us after all.

OCTOBER 23-25, 2018

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4080 / AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS WORLD • OCTOBER 2018


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