Yanfeng says some of its interior concepts can be applied across many disciplines as the supplier looks to take advantage of megatrends, which will see CASE concepts rapidly take centre stage in future years.
The manufacturer outlined some of its CASE thinking just ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this year, with the XiM20 concept car, featuring its Smart Cabin vision and elaborated on these during the recent Central & Eastern European Automotive Forum organised by Adam Smith Conferences in Budapest.
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“When you are talking about future interiors of vehicles, you are talking about mobility,” Yanfeng Engineering director, Engineering Europe & South Africa, Ivan Kebisek told just-auto at the Budapest conference. “That means this concept can be applied anywhere else.
“We have a couple of solutions that don’t look any more like a car – [they] can be used in any transportation. Airline design is a bit more specific because of lightweight [but] these industries in terms of interiors of the future will look pretty similar and this is a trend because young generations have their smart devices and they want to connect, whether it is car, rail or airline.
“We recognise the three major trends which affect mobility: autonomous, electric and connectivity. The population is changing – the older generation is in good condition and the digital mindset of the young is extremely important. People are looking for an experience.
“We cannot affect traffic, but we what we want is to offer an alternative of what to do in a car if you are in a traffic jam, to spend your time in a more efficient way. Our strategy is to add value and innovation – this is the most important way and we are pretty successful.”
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By GlobalDataKebisek noted it was possible to source cheaper suppliers from countries such as India, but this was not always the most efficient way to find components, stressing the need for productivity as a further way to address costs.
“In many cases, we identified it is not always the way to go for the cheapest supplier, but maybe to build on a partnership with a long-term partner, who may be more expensive, but at the end of the day can save much more,” added Kebisek. “The majority of engineering services come from Poland, but there is definitely potential in countries like Serbia.”
Yanfeng’s XiM20 concept car outlined its Smart Cabin vision for automotive interiors, which, as well as delivering the physical environment for future mobility, enables coordination of features into what the supplier refers to as Experience in Motion: information, displays, lighting, and interior ambience reacting to passenger needs.
Yanfeng has also decided to leverage some of the trends currently used by the hospitality industry using natural ingredients and environments, as well as the increasing desire for authenticity from consumers.
“Putting the consumer back in the centre, this is a universal thing, even if it costs more,” Yanfeng Technology VP design and user experience president, Tim Shih told just-auto on the sidelines of the supplier’s XiM20 unveiling in Stuttgart earlier this year.
“People have said this is something they would be willing to pay a premium for, compared to a standard ride share vehicle. Hospitality has realised how powerful emotion can be to their brand.
“The insights gleaned from our research defined what impacts consumers’ quality of life and what creates memorable, engaging experiences. With the XiM20, technologies and product innovations complement design, providing flexibility and comfort for the autonomous ride-share passengers of tomorrow.”
