TRW says ease of adding functionality to its safety systems will allow vehicle manufacturers to recoup initial cost outlay.
The US supplier made its comments at the Ride and Drive event in Germany’s Formula 1 Hockenheimring and as T1 manufacturers increase their level of safety component sophistication.
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“Our camera and radar systems can have functionality added without additional hardware,” TRW global portfolio director, Driver Assist Systems, Peter Austen, told just-auto on the sidelines of the Hockenheim event.
“The software is the easy bit to add. This will allow us to sell additional functions – that is where car manufacturers will recover their fixed expenditure.”
Austen also addressed the issue of semi and fully-autonomous driving, but stressed there would be a degree of waiting until legislation became clear on the subject.
“It will take quite a long time for the legislative [framework] – most manufacturers will move towards this step – some already are,” he said.
“We are broadly driving the technology as hard as we can. Are we doing everything everybody wants us to do? We are probably setting the parameters at this point. The legislation has to follow.
“My feeling is T1s are creating opportunity, then the most advanced OEMs are pushing of course for the things they want. I would not deny we are encouraging the world to build the sort of safety we provide – we are developing as fast as we can.”
Austen noted there two approaches to autonomous driving – one with sensors facing outwards and the other focusing on vehicle to vehicle communication although this would necessarily require a considerable amount of time to implement.
“Vehicle to vehicle will require some high level legislation,” said Austen. “There is absolutely no point in having half the cars being able to talk to each other and the other half not.”
Part of the TRW Ride and Drive briefing focused on the drive to reduce road fatalities – an area where European automotive supplier body CLEPA has been particularly active – and Austen also highlighted the component producer’s role.
“There is absolutely no doubt the systems we are developing are reducing accidents and saving lives,” said Austen. “In the end, it is undeniable the government bodies have to conclude it is the right thing to do.”
Austen also noted the requirement for aftermarket parts for TRW was relatively small, given the “very, very low failure rate” of 2.4 parts per million.
“It is really quite rare for electronic parts to fail,” he said. “Of course, there is an aftermarket business, but today our mission is not to make parts that are designed to generate business for the aftermarket.”
