The features of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) typically debut on luxury vehicles, then after years of deployment, trickle down to higher-volume vehicles as costs drop.
PSA Peugeot Citroen, however, balks at this business model. Although a French company, PSA uses an almost American ingenuity to find a creative, cheaper solution to a problem, rather than waiting for the market to dictate the answer. Over the years, PSA has shown that it can develop cheap ADAS solutions in ways that have not been used by other brands.
True, it is somewhat difficult to calculate the full price of driver assist systems, given that original equipment manufacturers (OEM) usually package them with other features and luxury brand OEMs can up-charge with the knowledge that their customer base will pay the price. Furthermore, most driver assist systems have to communicate and interact with other vehicle systems, brakes, pre-collision systems, and steering—further blurring cost boundaries.
That being said, it is still clear that PSA chose its driver assist systems with the intent to keep costs low.
The Beginning
From the beginning, PSA targeted low cost over better performance, such as using an infrared lane departure warning system instead of a camera-based system.
PSA chose to use infrared for two reasons. First, it claims that, unlike cameras, infrared works well in adverse conditions such as at night, during fog and heavy rain, even though the system does not work if roadways obstructed are with something such as snow or ice.
The real reason, however, is due to cost. Infrared sensors are much cheaper than a camera-based system, which not only has the sensor but also includes the software with complex algorithms as well as additional electronic control units—all adding cost to an already expensive system.
Ironically, the solution—despite being inexpensive—cannot be found on other vehicles. PSA owns the rights to the system and has chosen not to license it to other OEMs.
Keeping Pace
Another example of PSA’s innovative ADAS offerings is the Peugeot Distance Alert system.
One of the more expensive driver assist systems in today’s market is adaptive cruise control (ACC). Traditional ACC includes the radar, additional ECUs, software and the ability to communicate with other systems of the car like acceleration and braking. Pre-collision systems add another layer of cost to the system.
Once again PSA saw an opening, and the company wanted to offer an ACC-like system to its customers but without the price tag normally associated with ACC. Instead, it chose an interesting middle-of-the-road approach that offers similar functionality without imposing autonomous control on the driver An alert informs the driver that the gap between the vehicles is below the driver specified safe following distance.
The most recent example though and like the infrared system, one of the more creative solutions can be found on the new Citroen C4. For the first time PSA will offer a car with blind spot detection.
Avoiding the cost of placing a radar sensor in the car, which as stated before can be very costly, PSA has teamed up with Bosch to use ultrasonic sensors instead. Bosch places a sensor in the side mirror and one on the rear quarter panel of the vehicle to give a 9.8-ft. (3-meter) detection range to the side of the vehicle and behind the vehicle. It can operate from 6 to 87 miles per hour (10 to 140 kilometers per hour).
ADAS for All
ADAS used to only be offered on luxury vehicles, and even ultrasonic parking began on luxury vehicles. But as is usually the case, once the economies of scale took place, prices on the systems dropped and driver assist systems began appearing on higher-volume cars.
Ford is an example of this, with the new Ford Focus being filled to the brim with ADAS technology. This never would have been the case in as little as 5 years ago.
A large number of OEMs and suppliers have said that if the price of radar sensors dropped below $100, the sensors would be seen across the board on all kinds of vehicles. In fact, even now they have begun to show up on higher-volume cars, even though it has taken time. OEMs know time is not one of their friends, as most customers want new technology on their vehicles immediately, especially when it comes to safety. Here patience is not a virtue.
In the case of PSA, the company was impatient and took note. And instead of waiting for trickled-down technology, it took the initiative and found creative solutions, which has worked well to its credit.
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