Car Stuff@CES 2015: Visteon Demonstrates How to Keep Vehicle Electronics Current as the Industry Transitions to an Autonomous World

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2015 -- During the 2015 International CESŪ from Jan. 6-9 in booth CP20, Visteon Corporation will highlight how autonomous driving is likely to evolve and ways to keep vehicles compatible with new technology years after they leave the assembly plant.

"Our innovation concepts offer physical visions for the future of mobility," said Tim Yerdon, Visteon's vice president of design, marketing and connected services. "In addition, we can provide simulation hardware and software with custom-built scenarios, conduct full turn-key research projects, and offer flexible platforms for collaborative innovation to our customers."

Visteon's concept named Semper Novus – Latin for Always New – embodies this idea by giving customers a unique and easy way to update their automobiles via hardware and software. The vehicle is specifically designed so owners can incorporate new hardware modules developed at any point during the life of the vehicle using a plug-and-play approach.

Auto manufacturers also stand to benefit from the Semper Novus concept by improving the vehicle ownership experience. Customer satisfaction scores are expected to improve since owners have a means to continually keep their vehicle electronics up to date.

At Visteon's booth at CES, the Autonomous Experience Simulator will show a vision of how autonomous driving is likely to evolve over the next 10 years, while highlighting the evolution of vehicle use cases, features and user experiences. The vision is demonstrated inside fully immersive driving simulators that enable users to experience autonomous driving scenarios – including situations that are non-existent today.

Visteon developed this concept through an experiential research study with consumers projected to be typical vehicle buyers in 2025. During this research, Visteon learned that the two most important attributes for future autonomous vehicles are trust and personalization.

Additionally, Visteon conducted a consumer research clinic to gain insights into consumer preferences about the Semper Novus Concept and the future of autonomous driving. Findings were applied during the final stages of development to deliver concepts that will resonate with consumers. Semper Novus piqued interest, with 86 percent of consumers tested indicating they would be willing to pay to be able to upgrade their factory-installed vehicle's electronics in the future.