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Consumer Demand for Flexible Interior Electronics Systems Driving Product Development


September 2006
 Filed under: FORD Car News | FORD Headlines
September 25, 2006 -- Rich Patterson, a Minneapolis resident, spends at least 90 minutes commuting to and from his job every day. Thanks to aftermarket iPod connectivity in his Ford Fusion, he's able to tolerate traffic jams by listening to his favorite tunes and podcasts.
Patterson isn't alone in his preference for listening to a portable digital music player in his car instead of compact discs, cassettes or traditional radio. According to a recent J.D. Power study, more than half of the consumers surveyed said they want the ability to play MP3 devices like the Apple iPod in their next new car. The same survey found 60 percent of iPod owners are willing to pay $150 to be able to connect the popular device into their next ride's audio system.

"CDs and radio just don't cut it anymore. My iPod has more than 10,000 songs on it -- all handpicked by me. It's my own personal radio station, playing all of my favorites and no annoying commercials," Patterson said.

Automakers, including Ford Motor Company, have taken notice of the skyrocketing consumer demand for iPod connectivity in their vehicles. For the 2007-model year, Ford and Lincoln Mercury will offer standard auxiliary audio-input jacks on the Ford Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Mustang, Fusion, Sport Trac, Ranger, F-150, Mercury Milan, Mountaineer, Lincoln MKX, Lincoln MKZ, Navigator and Lincoln Mark LT.

The jacks allow customers to bring any iPod or other MP3 player with a standard 3.5-millimeter audio output into their vehicle and play it through the audio system.

In addition, early next year, Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers throughout the U.S. will begin offering Ford’s TripTunes Advanced audio system -- an iPod integration feature that provides drivers with top sound quality and iPod recharging at the same time.

TripTunes Advanced allows the driver to store the iPod in the vehicle's glove box and select music using the steering wheel or radio controls -- including shuffling songs and skipping between tracks and playlists.

"This is just one piece of a much broader effort at Ford Motor Company to respond to customer trends more quickly," said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford's product and business development for electronics.

The iPod audio jack is just one example of how consumers are bringing non-automotive electronics into their automobiles. Handheld global positioning devices and portable DVD players also are catching on as a more flexible alternative to factory installed systems. Cell phones have all but eliminated the market for embedded mobile phones. And satellite radio chips are small enough now to be placed inside devices similar in size to MP3 players, making portable units a popular alternative to built-in units.

"The best things about portable electronics are that they are usually more up-to-date, cost less and can be used in and out of the car," said Paul Hansen, an automotive strategy consultant who publishes The Hansen Report on Automotive Electronics, a business and technology newsletter.

Hansen added that built-in or embedded electronics have an advantage over portable devices such as larger displays, easier-to-find switches and integration into the vehicle's power system. As a result, he said, embedded electronics can be smarter and safer to use while driving than portable devices.

However, with Americans spending an average of one hour in transit every day, the demand for portable electronics integration in vehicles is higher than ever and expected to rise.

"The automotive user experience, especially as it relates to information services and entertainment, is in a state of rapid metamorphosis," said Venkatesh Prasad, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering group and technical leader. "More and more tech-savvy consumers want personalized digital content and information -- anytime and anywhere."

Studies show that many Americans rely on drive time to enjoy digital media. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average commute is 30 minutes, with more than 5 percent of Americans driving 90 minutes or more one way. People with longer commutes are more likely to use drive time to enjoy media and use multiple electronic devices in a vehicle, said Jim Buczkowski, Ford PD director of Electronics and Electrical Systems Engineering implementation.

"People want to maximize the time they spend behind the wheel," Buczkowski said. "We need to accommodate their entertainment or infotainment needs by making the human-machine interfaces as simple and straightforward as possible. That will allow drivers to stay focused on driving."

Consumers also expect their vehicles to be seamless extensions of their homes and offices. Ford has recognized that need with vehicles like the Edge and Lincoln MKX, which boast a segment-leading four power outlets and a large reconfigurable center console for storing laptop computers, MP3 players, mobile phone and other items.

"The user experience in vehicles today is mostly centered on built-in technologies like those currently packaged in the center console, but we're entering a new era of vehicle-electronic integration," Prasad said.

In the near future, he added, brought-in devices that seamlessly connect with the vehicle's built-in electronics will be a basic user expectation. And beamed-in streaming media via wireless connectivity already is expected to broaden in-vehicle entertainment and information options even further.

The challenge for automakers is to design adaptability into vehicles so that they can remain compatible with the more rapidly evolving consumer electronics industry. In time, a vehicle’s regular maintenance will include periodic upgrades in software systems to accommodate new portable devices.

"Our partnerships with consumer electronics companies are key to our understanding of the trends and how best to execute interface solutions," Buczkowski said.

Going forward Ford aims to provide consumers with the appropriate controls for the devices they might want to use while they're driving without compromising safety or information security or privacy, Prasad said.

"Ford's commitment to technology driven product development with a focus on customer discernable features is stronger than ever," Prasad added. "And there will be more exciting developments in the months to come."


Source: Ford Motor Company

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