BMW introduced new autonomous vehicle concepts for its BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, as well as laying out its "hypothesis" for future mobility.
IHS Automotive Perspective
Significance:
BMW introduced three new concept cars, each expressing the potential future and expression of autonomous vehicles for BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce.
Implications:
BMW is celebrating its past 100 years with a year of announcements about where it sees the future going. These three concepts are part of that discussion.
Outlook:
BMW is laying out a very comprehensive and thorough basis for its development of future autonomous cars and mobility, looking to express traditional values of each brand in a new context.
BMW has introduced three new autonomous concept vehicles, as well as describing much of the basis for its approach to the future of mobility. First, BMW laid out its six "central hypotheses" on individual mobility. For BMW, these include the notion that mobility is becoming versatile, connectivity is becoming second nature, mobility is becoming tailor-made, technology is becoming human, energy is becoming emission-free and responsibility is becoming diverse.
BMW believes that new forms of mobility are opening up new possibilities in how people get where they want to be, and the company wants to "play a part in shaping these future forms of mobility." Along with that, the company sees that mobility has potential to become increasingly flexible and tailored to individual needs, and the company will work to offer "carefully coordinated products and services to achieve" customised mobility. On this point, as BMW's brands are all in the premium or luxury spaces, the company is also typically working for a buyer with more financial means, buyers who may be both more willing and more able to pay for both customised mobility, but also convenience and privacy. BMW Group should be in a strong position for developing and providing comprehensive solutions for customised mobility. BMW also said that it believes innovations are only beneficial if they are simple and user-friendly. The company says technologies must be able to learn from and adapt to people, to become more human and familiar.
The BMW Vision Next 100 had the objective of developing a highly personalised vehicle that retained the driver's emotional connection with the car. The company said it believes BMW drivers still will want to drive, and therefore the concept makes it so drivers can let the car drive when they want to. BMW expects artificial intelligence and intuitive technology to merge, and envisions where screens and touchscreens will be replaced by more intuitive forms of human-machine communication and interaction. The car also looks at alternative manufacturing, as BMW explores a future where rapid manufacturing, carbon fibre, and 4D printing produce intelligent, networked materials. BMW expects its brand vehicles will remain emotional and for BMW drivers, "mobility will remain an emotional experience."
The BMW Vision Next 100 explores using the full windscreen as a display and something it calls Active Geometry for the driver to interact with the vehicle – a highly advanced and intuitive gesture control. Alive Geometry consists of nearly 800 moving triangles inside the cabin, set into the instrument panel and certain areas of the side panels; they work in three dimensions. BMW also sees screens being replaced by OLED screens that can be shaped more organically. Addressing the transition between driving and driven, the BMW concept has a Boost mode in which the "entire vehicle focuses on the driver, offering intelligent support to maximize the driving experience." The Alive Geometry, in Boost mode, can highlight the ideal driving line and warn of oncoming vehicles. The Ease mode focuses on a relaxed experience. In that mode, the steering wheel and centre console retract and headrests move to one side. Seats and door panels merge to allow the driver and passenger to sit at an angle for easier communication. The windscreen head-up display adjusts to personalised information and entertainment. From the outside, the concept takes a shape like iconic BMW saloons, and the vehicle takes the trademark kidney grille, double headlights and L-shaped rear lights. Similar to what we've seen from concepts from Mercedes-Benz, the lights are used as a communication tool, to communicate to people outside of the car which drive mode it is in. In the centre of the dashboard is the Companion, which represents the "intelligent digital partner" that connects the driver and the car; the Companion's position and behaviour changes whether in Boost or Ease mode.
Among the significant elements of the BMW Vision Next 100 was the take on vehicle production materials. BMW said that the Vision Next 100 uses fabrics from recycled and renewable materials, including carbon components that are made from residues from normal carbon fibre production. BMW also said other new materials would be added in future, and that less wood and leather would be used, in favour of more innovative materials.
The Mini Vision Next 100 continues the brand's focus on personalisation, as well as a car-sharing; it can park itself, recharge itself and change exterior colour to align with the current user's preference. "In the future, fans of the brand will be able to call on a Mini tailored to their personal requirements where every they are, day or night." The Mini concept is also Level 5 – designed to be driven or as a driverless car. The Mini concept is meant to carry on as the urban go-kart – small, clever and nimble. The Mini also reinterprets the centrally positioned circular instrument panel that is signature to Mini cockpits. For this concept, it offers more personalisation, including control of entertainment, communications and autonomous-driving options. Like the BMW concept, the Mini Vision Next 100 uses augmented reality displays to show the route or ideal driving line. The Mini concept also leveraged ways to maximise interior space, including the way the zero-emissions drive system is packaged, as well as the reduced need for crash zones. Unlike the BMW, the Mini's steering wheel does not retract when in autonomous mode, but the driver shifts to autonomous mode by sliding the steering wheel to between the driver and front passenger.
The Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100, also codenamed 103EX, is the most radical of these three concepts, but remains very clearly a Rolls-Royce. As Rolls-Royce is already highly customisable, BMW said it sees the future as Rolls-Royce cars that are genuine one-off pieces. The large car takes and advanced lightweight platform and a "high-performance electric drive." A common theme is the expectation that changing use of materials will drive how the vehicles can be customised in the future. For the Rolls-Royce, even more ability to be bespoke was a theme, as was the idea of the vehicle interior as a private retreat. The Rolls-Royce, unlike the Mini or the BMW, is envisioned as fully autonomous, with a journey guided by a virtual assistant. Rolls-Royce sees this as an intelligent learning system. The exterior of the Rolls-Royce concept is the most dramatic of the three.
Outlook and implications
BMW is laying out a very comprehensive and thorough basis for its development of future autonomous cars and mobility, looking to express traditional values of each brand in a new context. Regardless of how much of this technology reaches market or how fast it does so, BMW's very thorough approach is likely to leave the company better positioned to help define future mobility, as well as better positioned to adjust if development does not go as expected.
These exercises were less about exploring the future design language as adapting the language of each brand to potential new vehicle technologies and materials, and communicated how BMW sees each brand can participate in the new mobility world – as an example, focusing on the car-sharing aspect for the Mini. Each of these concepts is extremely well tailored to the brand's essence, with a level of technology that seems to align with future price expectations. It is interesting, too, that despite the current trend toward SUVs, BMW chose the sedan as the core expression of the BMW brand – for Rolls-Royce and Mini, the sedan and hatchback were the only logical choices.
About this article
The above article is from IHS Automotive Same-Day Analysis of automotive news, events and trends, and is a deliverable of the World Markets Automotive Service. The service averages thirty stories per day and also provides competitor and country intelligence. Get a free trial.