As the 2011 model year goes into full swing, IHS has taken a look at how the availability of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are progressing and growing in Europe.
ADAS-rich OEMs
Among original equipment manufacturers (OEM) in Western Europe, several are offering high levels of safety and ADAS technology in vehicles. In particular, the perennial leaders in safety continue to show the way for the industry by offering not only a wide range of ADAS options but also the most advanced functionality as well.
Volvo, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz are the recognized leaders in Europe. The new S60 and V60 by Volvo helped usher in a new wave of advanced safety technology for the company’s brand, while the Audi A8 and sharing technology with the A7 and A6 returned the automaker to par with its German competitors in the luxury segment.
Ever present in any safety discussion, both BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer an abundance of advanced safety features on multiple models, continuing to spread the technology deeper into their model lines, including the new C-Class.
Several additional brands are especially noteworthy as leaders in the ADAS segment. Relative newcomer Infiniti and traditional stalwart Lexus trail just behind the European brands; both also offer additional technology in the Asian-Pacific market that would give the Europeans a run for their money if made available on European soil.
At least one other OEM deserves a mention, however, as a non-luxury brand that is making strides in the ADAS segment.
Ford recently has pushed several new technologies into its European model line. And while it might not offer every technology like the competition, it is largely competitive in a part of the industry that, prior to 2011, was the sole domain of luxury brands.
Expect Ford and other non-luxury brands like Volkswagen to continue pushing the industry to new heights as they halt the luxury segment’s monopoly on ADAS.
Park Assist
Park assist has been a hot topic for the last several months, mainly due to the U.S. government taking steps to require rear-camera park assist (PA) on all new vehicles. The industry must adjust, but the impact in the United States will be slightly less because camera PA already is widely available in the country, surpassing ultrasonic PA in 2010 and even widening the gap in 2011.
European availability tells a different story, however: Ultrasonic-based PA is far more common compared to camera solutions, though the gap between technologies is steadily closing. Ultrasonic PA, a mature, well-established technology and a veteran of the ADAS segment, is one of the most widely available driver assist systems in Europe, due in part to inexpensive hardware and a minimal human machine interface (HMI) required to utilize the system.
For model year (MY) 2011, ultrasonic PA is available on nearly 80 percent of vehicle models in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, compared to 76 percent in MY 2009. Camera PA has grown at a faster rate, from 20 percent to 35 percent during the same time period, but ultrasonic remains the undisputed king of park assist in Europe and will remain the favored PA technology in the foreseeable future.
Advanced Park Assist
Autonomous PA is a relatively recent innovation compared to its technological brethren, only beginning to take root in European model ranges.
Additional ultrasonic sensors on the side of the vehicle help to detect open spaces for guided parking maneuvers, and with inexpensive sensors fueling such a convenient application, availability has steadily grown. Less than 7 percent of models in Europe offer autonomous PA in 2011, but the number of models has nearly doubled since 2009 and the increase is expected to continue.
Camera PA has a lot of room available to grow, however, and new applications—as well as global platform repercussions of the U.S. mandate—will help it to do so.
Sensors Multiply
As ADAS applications migrate into new models, the number of sensors expands in kind. Ultrasonic sensors are in the lead, given the massive availability of ultrasonic PA and add-on functions like autonomous PA, but camera sensors have shown the highest growth over the past three model years and have plenty of opportunities to continue.
Overall, single-rear- and windshield-mounted cameras account for the majority of vehicle-based camera sensors. Thirty-five percent of models in 2011 offer a rear camera, compared to 14 percent of models offering a camera in the windshield for applications such as lane departure warning (LDW) and driver monitoring.
These two applications also happen to be among the biggest growth areas, after park assist. Lane departure warning has nearly doubled since MY 2009 to 15 percent availability in 2011, with all but one OEM opting for camera-based LDW.
Read More > IHS iSuppli’s Automotive Research Portal – ADAS