There is a demand for greater mobility and changing patterns of working and living, together with demographic changes. For passenger cars, customers are demanding tailor made features leading to a great diversity of models and ranges, requiring fully flexible on-demand manufacture. Vehicles which can evolve and change configuration to meet changing fashion and lifestyle.
Economic
Competitive pressures exist to reduce development and manufacturing cycle times and costs, improve value and improve responsiveness, agility, flexibility, durability, efficiency and quality, in order to achieve greater profitability and return on capital, together with changes to industry structure (consolidation, globalisation, supply chain, etc.). Low volume and fully flexible manufacturing systems are required, driven by manufacture to order with minimal inventory.
Environmental
Requirements are to reduce energy consumption, material waste and emissions of CO2 and other harmful substances, during manufacture and use of vehicles. Management of the complete vehicle life cycle from cradle to grave is required to conform to legislative requirements on waste disposal. Vehicles and components need to be designed with re-use and recycle in mind, and with manufacturing processes which are environmentally friendly.
Technological
Competition exists to develop innovative solutions in the areas of vehicle design and manufacture, considering all aspects of the vehicle life cycle.
DMaP Technology Directions
The expert opinion obtained during the construction of Version 1.0 of the Technology Roadmap is still relevant and valid, and is given at the end of this section for completeness. Review of this information confirmed the themes for classification of technology directions:
- Lifecycle
- Manufacturing
- Integration
Whilst not superseding the data obtained in Version 1.0, the information below adds to it and represents current thinking on those aspects of technology introduction which are considered important.
