Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2024 - 14

Realizing software-defined commercial vehicles
Data processing and seamless
connectivity will play a central
role in future commercial
vehicles, necessitating
software to handle the
influx of data to and
from the cloud.
Continental's Georg Fässler, executive chair of the 2024 SAE COMVEC,
details efforts to future-proof forthcoming vehicles.
by Ryan Gehm and Gretchen Uhrinek
S
evere driver shortages, rising fuel and material costs, escalating
demand for freight transport, higher sustainability requirements
- there is no shortage of challenges facing the
transport sector. Commercial vehicle manufacturers and industry
suppliers are devoting significant resources to develop, test
and bring to market the technological advances that will help alleviate
these pressure points.
" The digitalization of commercial vehicles and the whole logistics
chain is a necessary response and one of the most important developments
in the CV industry in my view, " said Continental
Automotive's head of commercial and special vehicles, Georg
Fässler, in a recent interview with SAE International.
It's no coincidence that Continental, as the executive host for
SAE's 2024 COMVEC event from September 10-12 (https://comvec.
sae.org/), set a theme centered around " Smart Machines. The
Digitalization of Machines. " Fässler, in his role as COMVEC executive
chair, described the three-day conference as " the most important
scientific exchange place, communication place, " where industry
can openly discuss its latest trends and challenges. With mobility's
rapidly shifting technological landscape, there will be plenty
to talk about.
14 August 2024
" There were never [as] many changes in the commercial
vehicle industry than in the last ten years, "
Fässler said. " And probably even more coming in the
next ten years. " Future commercial vehicles will be
" permanently and seamlessly connected, " he predicted,
which will enable new functions both within and
outside of the vehicle, increasing safety, efficiency and
comfort for the driver.
A software-defined future
Fässler, who holds a Ph.D. in electromagnetic computation
methods, launched his career by working on cell
phones - " pretty small devices, opposite to trucks, "
he said with a chuckle. But actually, he pointed out,
the software isn't all that different.
Much like cell phones, modern commercial vehicles
heavily rely on integrated software for seamless functionality.
" Integrating digital solutions and connectivity
technologies is key to making commercial vehicles
future-proof, " he said.
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
CONTINENTAL
https://comvec.sae.org/ https://comvec.sae.org/
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2024

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