Heinz-Peter Beckemeyer

Imagine a world where self-driven, zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs) communicate among themselves and with roadway infrastructure. Imagine cities filled with cars that can safely deliver passengers, and then direct themselves to parking spaces with inductive pads to quickly recharge until they are summoned again.

Fueled by a series of advances in automotive electronics now underway at Texas Instruments, this vision for the future of the automobile is rapidly becoming science fact instead of science fiction.

The Growing Influence of Electronics in Automobiles

From the electrification of vehicle engines to increased automation, safety, comfort and convenience, advanced electronics are the key factor enabling many of the improvements in automobiles.

At the engine level, auto manufacturers and customers are increasingly turning to various forms of EVs, hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs), and electronically assisted combustion engines to improve gas mileage and lower emissions cost-effectively.

EVs will continue growing slowly but steadily in number, approaching five percent of overall auto sales worldwide by 2025, according to market analyst firm IHS Automotive. Hybrid electric and gasoline combustion motors in that same year will amount to some 22 million cars, about 20 percent of cars sold worldwide.

What’s Driving the EV Revolution?

Not only are EVs reducing fuel consumption and emissions – they are also helping manufacturers develop the supporting technologies needed for electrification, while giving consumers time to become accustomed to them. Governmental mandates as well as market demand will determine the pace of this transition.

Increasingly, integrated circuits (ICs) that sense conditions, drive actuators, convert signals, communicate among vehicle systems, and decide what to do—often without intervention by the driver—are key automotive components.

ICs that function in vehicles must operate under extreme conditions of voltage, current, temperature and vibration, and they must operate reliably to keep the equipment and occupants safe.

At TI, we offer a broad portfolio of innovative solutions that enable automakers to design and build more efficient, safer and more comfortable cars that are easier for their customers to operate.

As the revolution in transportation continues, new introductions in auto electronics are continuing to make cars more fuel-efficient, safer and convenient. Electrically assisted combustion engines, hybrids at various levels, and full EVs are all making a change in emissions that cut down on pollution locally and greenhouse gases globally.

Automated driving and EVs will change the operation of vehicles, especially in cities, bringing new business models that help provide low or zero emissions and customized transportation for millions.

I’m excited to be at TI, where we will continue to play an important role in bringing electronics to vehicles today while driving toward an automotive future that is safer, more convenient and environmentally friendly.