Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1499865
High-Speed Data in Industrial, Automotive, Healthcare, and Data Centers 18 Consumer demand will also play an enormous part in the acceptance of this new technology in the automotive industry. Along with its world-leading EV charging network, China boasts a healthy demand for prestige car brands. Therefore, China and other similarly emerging markets will be key to the growth of new vehicle technologies. While individual customers are unlikely to choose a vehicle based upon its use of zonal architecture, the features it supports will influence buying decisions. This is a view shared by the industry professionals in the Molex and Mouser survey, who felt that computing power would have the greatest impact on consumer behavior over the next five years. About 43% stated that cloud computing would be critical, and 32% viewed out-of-car connectivity as the next big market driver—all technologies enabled by zonal architecture (Figure 8). Adoption will also be influenced by how the new generation of travelers will use vehicles. While more mature customers still want to buy their own vehicle, younger generations will be more interested in transportation-as-a-service (TaaS) models that reduce the emphasis on vehicle ownership and promote alternative solutions to mobility. The flexible approach of zonal architecture would allow easy optimization of vehicles for each customer type, from full ownership to a pay-as-you-travel model. Connecting the Zones Although the move to zonal architecture will be led by software, the physical structure will play a huge part in making this concept a reality for manufacturers. Easier assembly, reduced weight, and advanced modularity are just a few of the advantages that a zonal structure will bring to the task of building tomorrow's vehicles. Connectors will be critical to these designs, and Molex is already collaborating across markets and business units while leveraging its world-class signal integrity capabilities to deliver both high-power and high- speed solutions in this new automotive environment. Of particular interest is the development of connectors that can be assembled by robots. Despite the advances of zonal equipment, the installation of cables and connectors will remain a manual process unless connections can be adapted for automation. Molex is taking its decades of experience in automotive connectors and applying it to the problem of robot handling. The result will be a range of connectors designed from the outset for automated assembly. Figure 9: Molex has the technical expertise, automotive experience, and global footprint to develop connector solutions for zonal architecture. (Source: Molex) TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AUTOMOTIVE EXPERIENCE GLOBAL FOOTPRINT Conclusion Zonal architecture will fundamentally change the face of vehicle manufacturing. It offers a huge range of benefits for manufacturers, dealers, and customers, and will ready the automotive industry for the future of transportation, from ADAS and electrification to vehicle sharing and TaaS. These benefits also present challenges for connector manufacturers. Solutions need to be developed that deliver power and high data speeds, while ensuring the reliability and safety required by the demanding automotive environment. Molex has the technical expertise, automotive experience, and global footprint to develop connector solutions for zonal architecture (Figure 9). Whatever the requirements, Molex will be ready to meet and exceed these demands and help create the car of the future. n Figure 8: Many respondents to the Molex and Mouser survey felt that computing power would have the greatest impact on consumer behavior over the next five years. (Source: Molex) 43% 32% stated that cloud computing would be critical viewed out-of-car connectvity as the next big market driver