ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles Special Report - December 2024 - 12

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 1012
(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.
12 DECEMBER 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.
Fässler pointed to the development of softwaredefined
and autonomous commercial vehicles
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ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles Special Report - December 2024

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