supervision instrument cluster with 4.2 tft lcd screen manufacturer

There are other tft instrument clusters on the market, such as a custom Tft instrument cluster. In addition, the installation of a Tft panel cluster is small and easier to build the instrument as its own suggests. There are several types of Tft instrument clusters, including solar panel clusters, dash gauge cluster, and dashboard clusters.

Explore more products, find out more about them. On Alibaba.com, you can find different tft instrument clusters that are suitable for different vehicles and the tftometer modes.

Dubbed Supervision, the 12.3-inch instrument cluster integrates the traditional analog tachometer and speedometer with a digital infotainment unit. Other variants of the XCeed are fitted with either a 3.8-inch monochrome LCD infotainment unit or 4.2-inch color TFT LCD.

When the engine is switched off, a short graphic of the vehicle in motion is played along with a summary of the drive. The latter shows the time and distance driven, average fuel efficiency and the estimated remaining driving range before refueling is required.

The all-new Kia XCeed urban crossover will be available with Kia’s first fully-digital 12.3-inch Supervision driver instrument cluster when it is launched across Europe later this year. Due to be fully revealed on 26 June 2019, the high-tech Kia XCeed will be one of the most technologically advanced compact cars when it goes on-sale. UK on-sale date, specification and pricing will be confirmed in due course.

Emilio Herrera, Chief Operating Officer at Kia Motors Europe, comments: “Our new Supervision digital instrument cluster is one of a number of optional new technologies that will be available with the Kia XCeed. Boasting a wide range of features, particularly on higher-specification models, this cluster will play an important role in displaying critical information to the driver in a clear, unobtrusive way. It will be adapted for other Kia models in future, as we seek new ways to display useful and critical information to drivers on-the-move.”

The Kia XCeed’s new 12.3-inch Supervision instrument cluster is designed to deliver information as clearly as possible. With a high-resolution 1920×720-pixel display, the digital cluster replaces the conventional speedometer and tachometer dials found currently in the brand’s passenger cars. Its single, seamless display incorporates pin-sharp digital dials for vehicle and engine speeds, with a fast frame-rate enabling it to react quickly and smoothly to instructions and inputs from the driver.

Between the two digital dials is a multi-function display, controlled via the multi-function steering wheel. In this portion of the cluster drivers can see turn-by-turn navigation instructions clearly in their line of sight, as well as audio information, phone calls and contacts, and in-depth trip information. This includes live and average fuel efficiency levels. The system also displays vehicle diagnostics alerts, and enables pop-up notifications linked to the car’s various active safety and driver assist technologies and live traffic and navigation system. The multi-function central display also shows cues from the car’s Driver Attention Warning system, advising drivers to take a break if it detects signs of fatigue.

When the driver parks and switches off the car, the new cluster also plays a short graphic of the car in motion, and displays a summary of the drive. This shows the time and distance driven, the average fuel efficiency achieved, and the estimated distance remaining based on current fuel levels.

The new Supervision instrument cluster is available as an option in the Kia XCeed, depending on market and vehicle specification. It replaces the physical dials and 3.8-inch mono-LCD or 4.2-inch colour TFT LCD screens available with different specifications of vehicle.

Like other models in the Ceed range, certain variants of the Kia XCeed line-up will be offered with a Drive Mode Select system. Drivers can tailor the vehicle’s handling and performance characteristics for different driving conditions, with Normal and Sport modes each adapting the car’s steering, transmission and throttle responses.

The new Supervision digital instrument cluster adapts to each mode accordingly with a range of differentiated graphics. By switching to a different drive mode, the instrument cluster displays more detailed information relating to each mode. In Normal, the display provides live fuel-efficiency gauges and traditional dials for vehicle and engine speeds, as well as additional trip information. Putting the car in Sport mode, the system offers a more prominent display of vehicle and engine speeds, with a larger, clearer read-out of the car’s current speed and engine RPM. Non-essential information is hidden away in Sport mode, minimising visual distractions.

In developing the digital instrument cluster, Kia is proofing its in-car technology against future technological developments. Digital clusters are a key component for handling data and displaying information from a variety of sources, and the new system means Kia is well-placed to incorporate future cutting-edge safety and powertrain technologies in its in-car displays.

For instance, the cluster’s graphics capabilities make it ideal for displaying immersive information relating to the electrified powertrains found in an increasing number of Kia vehicles. The digital instrument cluster will be adapted in future to display eco gauges, drive mode and trip information, and even a display of the flow of energy between batteries and electric motors. The digital display will also provide a unique visual link to the Eco driving mode found in certain models. Kia’s new instrument cluster will be introduced to other mild-hybrid, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles in future.

KEY FINDINGS Analog instrument clusters are expected to have a slower growth and gradually be phased out in all trims of premium and mid segment cars by 2025

Volume growth of hybrid cluster will be dominated in emerging markets such as APAC countries and Latin America due to increasing adopting in mid-segment vehicles by indigenous OEMs

USA, China and Europe are estimated to see lower growth in hybrid cluster as compared to digital cluster due to direct transition from analog to completely digital cluster in most trims

Integrated cockpit domain controllers, head-up display and driver assistance features are expected to get integrated into the cluster in the forecast period

Eye tracking and turn-by-turn navigation integration into the cluster, which is already implemented by few OEMs will influence the price rise in this segment

In July 2021, Visteon Corporation announced a joint venture with Cerence Incorporation, an AI developer. The venture is set to integrate Cerence’s conversation AI system with the company’s SmartCore product to feature Voice-enabled cockpit solutions for two-wheelers.

In January 2021, Qualcomm Technologies announced the launch of its next generation digital cockpit solutions with the 4th generation Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive cockpit platform

Continental has signed a strategic agreement with Pioneer Corporation to integrate Pioneer’s entire infotainment subdomain for cockpits with the company’s instrument cluster high performance computer.

The top spot in the market among suppliers is occupied by Visteon with over 21% market share, followed by Nippon Seiki with XX% market share and Denso Corporation at the 3rd place with XX%

Automotive Instrument cluster is a set of instruments and gauges that helps in understanding the functioning of a vehicle at a single glance. Instrument cluster comprises speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, warning indicators, pointers, sensors and electronic control unit. The display can be either analog, digital or hybrid. It ensures driver’s safety as it keeps track of the car’s health and movement.

1 July 2021 Rightware Rightware collaborates with Freescale and Vivante to enable highly advanced automotive in-vehicle infotainment and Instrument cluster systems

1 Q4-2021 ADAS and AI based vision processing technology for autonomous vehicles StradVision is partnered with LG Electronics to develop an AR head up instrument cluster projects such as ADAS warnings and navigation information on windshield using augmented reality which enhances the vehicle safety.

2 Q3-2021 Japanese semiconductor manufacturing company Renesas Electronics Corporation introduced a new system on chip product for the automotive electronics applications. The new R-Car Gen3e SoCs series provides 20% higher CPU speed for instrument cluster, driver monitoring systems and integrated cockpit domain controllers. Q3

3 Q2-2021 Google revealed a new feature in Android Auto at its Google I/O annual developer conference, the new Android Auto will support instrument cluster integration, that is the app will display on cluster if the screen is supported by digital display. Q2

4 Q1-2021 Hyundai Motor India increased its Verna models production in India and partnered with German multinational company Continental AG to supply digital instrument clusters to meet the growing demand. Q1

The electronic components such as display screen (mostly LCD), integrated chips, and control units are available readily and cheaper in cost. This has been a major factor in expanding the market.

Digital clusters will continue to be a premium feature in emerging economies and also contribute to increased value per unit of the digital cluster. Integrated cockpit domain controllers, head-up display and driver assistance features will be further integrated into the cluster in the forecast period.

The sales of electric vehicles has been on rise in the past few years with the global automakers surpassing revenue milestones and pre-order bookings. As the pollution levels and oil prices across the world are on a rise, the demand and production of electric vehicles is increasing creating incentives for automakers to develop more enhanced technologies. Several automotive part manufacturers are now focusing on the development of digital instrument clusters keeping in mind the requirements of an electric vehicle. For instance, Visteon announced an agreement with Renault motors to supply the instrument clusters for the company’s electric Kwid model.

Instrument clusters for electric vehicles come with an integrated dashboard to provide the user necessary information about the battery charge left as well as the availability of the nearest battery charging station and software enhancements from OEMs. Therefore, with the rise in demand for electric vehicles and automakers making strides in the sector by developing new technologies, the demand for instrument clusters with specialised features for electric vehicles will increase.

The market is dominated by some of the key players that are the supply partners for most of the automakers. The top spot in the market is occupied by Visteon with over 21% market share, followed by Nippon Seiki with XX% market share and Denso Corporation at the 3rd place with XX%

The instrument cluster in a car contains the different displays and indications that allow the driver to control the vehicle. Several instruments, such as a speedometer, odometer, tachometer, oil pressure gauge, fuel gauge, and other indicators for system failures and alerts, are among them.

Load drivers each physical (non-graphical) gauge is controlled by its own stepper motor. In addition, almost all instrument clusters have LED backlighting. To function properly, each of these devices requires a load driver.The stepper motor drivers are often integrated into the instrument cluster MCU; however, the LED backlight driver is implemented as an independent IC.

Within a node, LINs (Local Interconnect Network) handle network communication. A LIN network has a broadcast architecture with a single master – often an MCU – and up to 12 slave devices. It is inexpensive and easy to set up.

An integrated CAN and/or LIN transceiver is frequently included in instrument cluster MCUs for connecting with numerous sensors throughout the vehicle. The microcontroller may additionally have stepper motor drivers for actuating various gauges, as previously indicated.

Power Management in Low-dropout regulators are particularly effective in situations where there is a lot of load, such as when using an electric starter. External memory, stepper motors, one or more MCUs, CAN interface, LIN interface, and LED backlighting are all examples of instrument cluster components that can work at different voltage levels. When designing for efficiency, compactness, low cost, and low EMI, careful thought is essential because there are so many distinct power rails.

On the basis of technology hybrid instrument cluster is expected to dominate the market. Its ability to integrate both analog and digital has been the factor for this. The rise in electric vehicles and adoption of hybrid instrument clusters in commercial vehicles is expected to boost the market.

Passenger vehicles hold most of the share in the instrument cluster. High-end passenger vehicles attract larger market share as mostly they will be hybrid type and feature more options than other segments.

The 2 wheelers are sold in high numbers in Asia region, accounting for a sizable instrument cluster market volume in the region. The MY 2018 onward vehicles launched in the Asian market have a much higher digital content.

The instrument cluster market in the USA will be driven by the growth of the electric vehicle industry as well the increasing implementation of fully digital clusters in the pickups as they account for a large volume of the overall sales. Another dominant factor which will influence the growth of the instrument cluster market will be the focus on advanced driving safety features, implementation of which will require the need for OEMs to redevelop their cluster systems to include driver assistance features.

The demand for SUVs and crossovers ( 55% share in new car sales in 2020) will increase the instrument cluster market value in the country. Many top selling SUVs in the US are fitted with digital instrument cluster as a standard option.

Pickups account for 16-17% market share of new car sales in the US and all of them have Analogue dials + TFT display(centre) + multiple gauges setup (on top). Ford F-150, the top-selling US vehicle for more than four decades, gets a 8 inch TFT display in centre for higher variants and 4.2 inch display for lower variants.

The analog market is expected to show the slowest growth in the US market with a CAGR of 0.5% during the forecast period due to higher digitalization of cockpits.

Post Covid-19, the US was less prone to drop in sales numbers due to the rise in private ownership of vehicles, thereby showing a positive trend in growth of the cluster market as well.

Silverado-2021 HD Nippon Seiki Digital/hybrid 15 inch diagonal multi-color head-up display which projects data onto the windshield such as speed, temperature, directions, time. There are 3 DIC cluster options.

Nissan Rogue Visteon Digital 12 inch diagonal screen with vehicle dynamic control with traction control system as well as a multi-color head-up display. The cluster includes gauges for speed, temperature, infotainment details as well as fuel details.

Ford Escape Visteon Digital 12.3 inch instrument cluster with configurable display and 3D animations. Speed, temperature and other vital information can be projected on the 6 inch head-up display.

The rise in sale of electric vehicles (+147% YOY 2020) has led to a rise in hybrid and digital instrument clusters across Europe. The volume of pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars (EVs) increased from 575,000 units in 2019 to a staggering 1.42million units in 2020 indicating the accelerated transition to new energy vehicles in this region

The EU region had among the lowest penetration of analog systems globally. Only entry level car models such as Dacia Sandero, Opel Corsa and Fiat Panda featured an analog cluster due to significant price advantage.

High share of Premium and Luxury car sales in Europe region has boosted the Automotive Instrument cluster market immensely, by Value. All the top selling models in Europe feature hybrid instrument clusters. VW now offers the biggest range of Digital instrument clusters starting from Polo, Golf, to Tiguan, Passat across multiple variants.

Among French OEMs, Renault offers a 7- inch TFT Display on many top-selling vehicles but not on its Budget brand Dacia. PSA group offers Digital instrument cluster on best-selling SUVs like 208,3008 and 2008.

EV push by OEMs such as Polestar, Daimler, BMW and others is a strong factor to the growth of the value market especially in the digital cluster segment.

Volkswagen Polo Bosch Digital 10.3 inch with digital Cockpit Pro which displays a navigation map in conjunction with other vital details such as speed, temperature and fuel.

Toyota Yaris Denso Hybrid The 4.2 inch cluster displays multiple information such as turbo pressure, 4WD mode, G-force, gear shift indicators, speed and fuel economy.

In the year 2020, China had an estimated output of 6.6M analog clusters, 7.3M hybrid clusters and 5.9M digital clusters, accounting for ~30% of the worlds instrument cluster sales

The instrument cluster market in China is expected to witness an aggressive growth strategy in the features offered due to stiff competition as well as the phenomenal EV growth aiding in complete redevelopment of the in-cabin experience. As of 2020, China has the highest percentage of vehicles among its top selling vehicles to feature an all-digital cluster as compared to any other region

Among the top selling vehicles most of them are fitted with hybrid instrument clusters, except for the budget cars such as Wuling Hongguang and Volkswagen Lavida which still have analogue instrument panels. The Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Geely Emgrand EC7 are among the top selling vehicles which had a 100% penetration of hybrid clusters

Indigenous models such as Haval H6, Geely Boyue and the BAIC EU series were among the top selling cars which featured a complete penetration of full digital clusters

As of 2020, Japan is the only region where digital clusters had the highest penetration of about 40%, followed by hybrid clusters at 31% and analog at ~29%. The hybrid market is expected to eat into the market share of the analog market due to indigenous OEMs such as Toyota and Honda looking to implement their home-grown technology in all their models.

As of 2020, Toyota is yet to transition from TFT screens in their top selling vehicles Prius, Sienta and Corolla. The digital cluster is estimated to get more than 50% of the value market share in 2025 at ~$1.5B and the overall instrument cluster at ~$2.8B by 2025

Most of the top selling passenger vehicles are hybrid type instrument clusters. Very few are digital types such as Toyota Prius. The companies manufacturing instruments from Japan cluster are continuously investing on R&D to improve technology, this will boost Japan’s market in this sector.

Driver assistance systems and EV growth will influence the price per unit of the cluster as OEMs such as Toyota and Honda continue to race towards implementation of such features.

Nissan Note Aura Visteon Digital 12.3 inch digital cluster is aligned with the central display, the screen displays speed, temperature, direction and other vital information.

In 2020, analog clusters had a large penetration of ~68%, hybrid clusters at about 30%, while digital clusters had a poor share of ~2%. Nissan magnate and Renault Kwid were the vehicles in the entry segment to get an all-digital instrument cluster

Indian market will continue to witness growth in the analog market due to need for extremely cost-effective clusters in the low budget vehicles, which constitute a significant chunk of the number of sales in the region

Till 2016, almost all cars sold in India had the same instrument cluster provided on all variants except different tachometer readings in case of Petrol and Diesel. But, now there is clear differentiation between lower segment variants and higher segment variants of the same vehicle, and the design on Instrument cluster varies. Ex- 2019 Mahindra XUV 300, Hyundai Venue, 2020 Hyundai Creta.

Except for Suzuki Baleno and Kia Seltos most of the top selling cars have analog instrument clusters. Analog instrument clusters hold the majority of share as they occupy all the top selling budget cars. However, the hybrid instrument cluster is slowly seeing the rise.

Till date, there is no option of adding a Digital instrument cluster as a Paid option while configuring a car like US and EU markets. For Example, one can opt for a 10-inch Digital cluster in VW T-Roc for ~$500 extra.

Going forward, Indian market will continue to witness growth in the analog market due to the need for extremely cost-effective clusters in the low budget vehicles, which constitute a significant chunk of the number of sales in the region.

Hyundai I10 grand Visteon Hybrid/digital The 13.46 cm digital speedometer with multi-information display such as gear shift, door and tailgate information and fuel availability.

Hyundai Venue Continental Hybrid/digital It has an advanced supervision cluster with IC light adjustment rheostat and tachometer which displays the speed and other vital information.

The rise in demand for ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) and autonomous driving is expected to boost the market, as it requires a more sophisticated instrument cluster system.

1 Q4-2021 Apple Apple is working on a new project called IronHeart which enables vehicle function controlling through the iPhone such as instrument cluster, radio, HVAC, power seats and many more.

2 Q4-2021 Visteon Corporation Visteon Corporation is partnered with Blackberry to develop next generation digital instrument cluster, telematics solutions and infotainment systems for automobiles, Visteon made multi year agreement with Blackberry to use QNX software to develop digital cockpit solutions.

3 Q3-2021 Nobo Technologies Nobo Technologies to use Blackberry’s advanced digital cockpit controller for the next generation SUV Haval H6S, for the cluster display, infotainment, driver monitor system built using Blackberry QNX Neutrino Real time operating system and QNX Hypervisor. Q3

4 Q3-2021 Qt Hyundai Motor Group is partnered with Finland’s software solutions provider Qt, which supplies human machine interface(HMI) technology for the implementation of instrument cluster, rear entertainment systems and infotainment systems in its Kia and Genesis brand vehicles. Q3

In July 2021, Visteon Corporation announced a joint venture with Cerence Incorporation, an AI developer. The venture is set to integrate Cerence’s conversation AI system with the company’s SmartCore product to feature Voice-enabled cockpit solutions for two-wheelers. The system will be launched in agreement with a leading motorcycle manufacturer in the year 2024, it will offer a 12-inch display screen with connected apps and cloud software download capabilities.

In January 2021, Qualcomm Technologies announced the launch of its next generation digital cockpit solutions with the 4th generation Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive cockpit platform. The system will utilise the 5 nm processing technology to provide automakers with one of the highest performance system-on-chip (SoC) with a low power thermal profile integrated with the company’s Car-to-cloud soft SKU capabilities.

In January 2021, Qualcomm Technologies with its subsidiary NIO announced the agreement to develop the latest digital cockpit technologies in NIO’s first flagship sedan NIO ET7. The vehicle will be available from the year 2022 featuring the 3rd generation Qualcomm snapdragon with 5G platform.

Qualcomm Technologies has announced an agreement with Amazon to integrate Alexa custom assistant with Qualcomm snapdragon automotive cockpit platform. It will be available in the company’s 3rd and 4th generation platforms.

Panasonic has developed a concept for advanced cockpits which will feature multiple displays as well as touchless operation. The electronic cockpit solution offers an innovative digital instrument cluster with other displays using HMI.

Electric vehicle industry will strongly influence the growth of the digital cluster market due to the need for consolidation of entire cluster system in the vehicle

China accounts for close to 10% of the worldwide analog cluster sales of about 7.2M units in year 2020, making it the single largest market in terms of volume

With the introduction of Nissan Ariya in US, Nissan Magnite in APAC and continued influence of Nissan Leaf in EU the company will strongly influence digital and hybrid instrument cluster numbers

USA, China and Europe are expected to see lower growth in hybrid cluster as compared to digital cluster due to direct transition from analog to completely digital cluster in most trims

Bosch’s curved instrument cluster, first of its kind is installed in Volkswagen Touareg, it is expected to benefit the drivers by improving the visibility.

In the year 2019, Visteon Corporation announced the launch of a digital instrument cluster to be incorporated in PEUGEOT 208. The unique 3D i-cockpit will come equipped with a pair of TFTs to provide graphical content with 3D animations as well as content on both screens.

With the R-Car Gen3e, Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a leading provider of innovative semiconductor solutions, has added a new family to its popular R-Car system-on-chips (SoCs).

The new R-Car Gen3e series of SoCs, which includes six new members, provides a scalable lineup for automotive applications that require high-quality graphics rendering, such as integrated cockpit domain controllers, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), digital instrument cluster, driver monitoring systems, and LED matrix light. It Increases CPU performance — the R-Car M3Ne, R-Car M3e, and R-Car H3e devices can now run at up to 2GHz.

Scalable Instrument Cluster platforms with low-power, line-based graphic processing, functional safety, embedded Hardware Security Module (HSM), and Over-The-Air (OTA) software updatability deliver a rich visual user experience at the lowest possible cost of ownership.

Automotive instrument clusters give drivers a consolidated and easy-to-read display with all of the vehicle’s important driving data. It’s the driver’s workspace, so a perfect cluster dashboard that can be safely updated and customised is essential.

On the market, Infineon provides an unrivalled spectrum of scalable instrument cluster platforms. The TraveoTM and TraveoTM II microcontroller product families offer the highest scalability, supporting both traditional gauge and hybrid instrument clusters, as well as virtual instrument clusters.

The graphics engine within the microcontroller can operate on a line basis, which reduces the amount of memory required for graphics processing. The TraveoTM II graphic MCU can support the virtual instrument cluster with a high resolution.

Performance and density scalability are provided by Infineon’s SemperFlashTM and HyperRAMTM memory products to fulfil the needs of various instrument cluster systems. These high-performance memory devices are suited for high-speed access and real-time graphics.

1 Q4-2021 Spark Minda & Stoneridge Automotive components manufacturers for OEMs Spark Minda and automotive electronic components and system supplier Stoneridge are joint ventures since 2004, Minda Group acquired a major stake in Stoneridge JV to take ownership of instrument cluster and sensor business.

2 Q4-2021 Spark Minda Leading automotive components supplier Spark Minda invested $100 million for three years to expand its business by acquisitions by transforming auto parts supplier to systems supplier. The industry is growing 28% year over year for the quarter.

3 Q2-2021 Candera GmbH & Varroc Engineering Global human machine interface(HMI) technology provider Candera GmbH, is partnered with auto component manufacturer Varroc Engineering Limited, by signing a MoU(Memorandum of Understanding) agreement. Candera will supply software solutions in HMI and Varroc will develop hardware for the TFT instrument cluster.

As many OEMs such as Volkswagen Group, Toyota, GM aim to move the development of their cluster systems in-house in order to unify their platform for cockpit solutions, we expect a big transition in the market with suppliers for cluster systems needing a higher level of collaboration with OEMs in order to stay in the race to provide innovative solutions.

Continental and Visteon hold the majority of global market share and are the leading manufacturers in this sector. Some of the other players are Denso (Japan), Bosch (Germany) and Magneti Marelli (Italy). Qualcomm and Mentor Graphics (US) have been providing software platforms for digital instrument clusters. Pricol from India has been the leading instrument cluster manufacturer for 2 wheelers.

All suppliers must look to capitalize on the two prominent trends The legislative growth of the EV market will be a strong factor to influence the growth of the digital instrument cluster market

Need for integration with smartphones as well as the infotainment systems will drive OEMs to introduce a simplified cockpit solution to their newer models.

Continental has signed a strategic agreement with Pioneer Corporation to integrate Pioneer’s entire infotainment subdomain for cockpits with the company’s instrument cluster high performance computer. The development of this technology is aimed primarily for the Asian market. The company also recently released the half-yearly financial report for the first half of the year 2021 with the sales worth $23.7 billion which was an increase from the previous year which reported $19.5 billion for H1 of 2020. The sales of the automotive technology department was $9.2 billion for the same term, an increase from the H1 of 2020 which reported $7.9 billion worth sales.

The leading manufacturer of instrument clusters, Visteon recently announced the fiscal results for the second quarter of the year 2021. The company recorded net sales worth $610 million which was a whopping 59% year on year increase from the Q2 of 2020 reporting net sales worth $371 million. The company also announced that Geely Auto’s new Xingyue L flagship SUV will be the first production vehicle to incorporate the intelligent cockpit system developed with Qualcomm technologies and ECARX.

Denso Corporation recently released the first quarter results for the fiscal year 2022 with the total consolidated revenue of $12.3 billion which was a 77.3% increase from the previous year same quarter. The company also stated that the revenue has significantly increased due to the recovery in sales of vehicles and production activities from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company announced the development of future cockpit system technologies based on HMI. The cockpit system will be in a curved display with organic OLED. The system will use AR superimposition technology to ensure quick and intuitive recognition, minimise driver disturbance and help in eliminating errors.

In the year 2020, Denso Corporation announced a strategic joint venture with Qualcomm Technologies to develop the next generation cockpit systems. The primary task of the venture is to enhance the Harmony Core 4 which is an integrated cockpit system that has the capabilities to coordinate with external cloud based services and new HMI products.

Qualcomm Incorporated announced the acquisition of NUVIA, a leading CPU and technology design company, by its subsidiary Qualcomm Technologies for $1.4 billion. With the acquisition, the company has plans to integrate the next generation CPUs across a wide variety of products such as digital cockpits, smartphones, laptops as well as ADAS systems. The company also announced the third quarter financial results for the year 2021, with revenue worth $8,060 million which was a whopping 65% increase from the revenue of the same quarter of the year 2020 recorded as $4,893 million.

Prominent market players, market dynamics with OEMs as well as forecasted opportunities for Automotive Instrument Cluster Market or component suppliers

Instrument clusters are the interface with which the system interacts with the driver of a vehicle. Whether it is a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler, the important information about the vehicle such as vehicle speed, engine speed, fuel level, etc are conveyed by the cluster. They help drivers get informed decisions and are as important as any other part of an automobile.

Automotive Instrument clusters, just like any electronic device have been evolving a lot. The newest feature is the support for TFT LCDs with attractive graphics. For a requirement for a major Tier 1, Embien developed and demonstrated the Instrument cluster concept with its Sparklet GUI library optimized for Renesas RH850 series.

Originally the instrument clusters were mechanical devices. Called as the Mechanical Instrument Clusters, the devices worked on the principle of converting motion from one mode to another. Typically the engine speed is transferred via cables that drive a cross-coil indicator. Based on the rotation speed, the magnetic rotor moves the pointer, displacement of which indicating a proportionate to the actual speed. Then with the advent of electronics, electromechanical clusters came into existence. The engine/vehicle speed was transferred via rotary encoders which generates a series of pulses based on the speed. The pulses are counted with digital counters and stepper motor drives are used to drive the pointers.

These electro-mechanical devices are still the most predominant segment in the Instrument cluster market. Generally providing the minimum information of Engine speed (tachometer), vehicle speed (speedometer), fuel gauge, and oil temperature, they also had tell-tale lights for events such as engine temperature, battery level, brake, etc. They provide a high level of reliability and are easy to design conforming to functional safety requirements.

While the instrument clusters evolved, the other electronics in the car also underwent drastic changes. The Engine Control Units (ECUs) became the de-facto controller of the engine and a lot more controllers popped up across the vehicle each controlling an aspect of the automobile such as the lights, mirrors, seats, infotainment system, airbags, etc. The count of such units – communicating via a bus such a CAN, crossed even a hundred in some vehicles.

More the controllers, the amount of information available to the driver also increased manifold. The electro-mechanical clusters had a fixed arrangement and are not scalable. OEMs looked for a better management of space and new technologies for the IC.

Initially the manufacturers added a limited display – a segmented or graphical type to extend the information availability. Multiple trip meters and odometers were included as part of the functionality. Then with falling LCD prices and cheaper microprocessors, OEMs started adding TFT display. These displays, being highly configurable offered numerous functionalities in a minimal space. Still the electromechanical dials were not ditched completely in favor of TFTs. The TFTs had a rather gradual entry into the space. Some initial configurations had TFT LCD at the center with dials in the sides or a dial in the center with LCDs in the sides.

Nowadays, OEMs and customers are open to have Full TFT displays. Having used to smartphones, the UX expectations from the cluster have increased manifold. TFT based ICs offer a lot of options that were not possible earlier. With the same space, the amount of information that can be displayed has increased. It is possible to have complex menus for configuration. Of the volley of data, only those of interest can be shown based on user preference. Users can also customize the look and feel of the display with the option of selectable themes.

It is also possible have attractive 3D graphics that are highly intuitive. And the contents of the display can be modified based on the current driving mode. Though it is not recommended to have a touch panel, with limited physical buttons, it is possible to interact with such an HMI.

Embien designed and developed such an instrument cluster prototype with Renesas RH850 based MCU. Designed for the two-wheeler market, the cluster leverages the power of the MCU – the Renesas RH850, specially designed for such HMI applications. Variants of the devices offer up to 4 layers of displays each of which can host up to 18 sprites. These offer the best way to render widgets with minimal effort from the software/CPU. Powered by dedicated GPUs, rendering is also quiet faster with low/no CPU overhead. Up to 2.5MB of internal SRAM is available for holding display information along with a JPEG decoder.

The hardware designed had multiple LCD options including 5” and 7” LCDs with support for 18-bit and 24-bit interfaces. A CAN transceiver is available to communicate and collect information from the ECUs. An external Bluetooth module connected over UART offers connectivity to the smartphone that can be used to intimate incoming calls, pick/reject them, message and other notifications, etc. Another unique feature with the design is to support navigation map over Bluetooth.

Embien’s instrument cluster demo for 2 wheelers included various features such as intuitive display of vehicle information, customizable display, smooth animation for changes between screens etc. All the UI designs were done with Adobe Photoshop and imported via Flint IDE, the ideal tool for HMI development for Sparklet. The combination proved to be very effective in helping to complete the activity within weeks.

The design enabled Embien to develop a next generation of Instrument Cluster and also demonstrate the capabilities of its Sparklet Embedded Graphics library.

In addition to its easy touch controls for the audio system, the 8-inch TFT-LCD audio display can show the screen image of a paired, compatible mobile phone by wireless phone projection using the Android Auto and Apple Carplay apps.

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The 2020 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid makes it easy to plug in, then play. You get all of the versatility of a hybrid but without the restrictions of a plug-in-only vehicle. This small SUV is ready to redefine what it means to be an electric vehicle — all in one fun-to-drive package. Efficient performance combined with a highly-responsive transmission makes every mile an adventure that many hybrids cannot compete with. Inside the cabin, the available cargo space flexes to fit your lifestyle, allowing for up to 54.5 cubic feet of space for everything from groceries to furniture.^ Never compromise on your peace of mind on the road with the available Kia driver assistive technology like Blind Spot Collision Warning and Lane Following Assist. Plug into the perfect trim for your life today with the Kia Niro.

“Borgward is a style icon and synonymous for producing design icons. Continental has a long history of cooperating with Borgward. As early as in the 1950s, Borgward’s classic model Isabella was equipped with instrument clusters designed by Continental. We are more than happy to join hands with Borgward in China and provide it with our innovative instrumentation products,” said Helmut Matschi, head of the Interior Division and member of the board of directors at Continental AG. “This innovative 4.2” color TFT cluster we are supplying them with fully demonstrates our excellent local R&D capability and underlines our strategy of ‘In the market, for the market’.”

The product integrates one 4.2 inch color TFT LCD display with high resolution characteristics (QVGA 480*272) and high contrast ratio in super-wide angle of view, this cluster also has capability of image rendering with true color. What’s more, this instrument cluster delivers the information to drivers via ergonomic and colorful pictures and animations, which brings a more pleasant driving experience to drivers. In addition, the instrument cluster is connected with audio/video entertainment module, thus to realize human machine interaction in a more convenient way.

Marking the next step in the electric evolution, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid features a hybrid system capable of going fully electric (EV mode) with the push of a button for quick trips around town. You"ll enjoy smooth power delivery with up to 105 combined MPGe** and thanks to its hybrid gas-electric HEV mode you"ll never find yourself stranded. With dual Level 1 (120V) and Level 2 (240V) charging options, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid makes it easy to find a power source whether you"re at home or on the road. Not only does the Niro Plug-In Hybrid allow you to spend less time filling up at the gas station, it also comes with plenty of tech to help you enjoy every mile. Standard UVO link featuring Apple CarPlay™ & Android Auto™ smartphone integration gives you access to your favorite apps and media on an 8-inch touch display. Carefully sculpted to enhance aerodynamics, the sleek silhouette of the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid can slice through the air to minimize drag and accelerate performance.

"The best plug-in hybrids sell themselves on low running costs and not overcomplicating things, and that"s exactly what Kia has done with this Niro. The carmaker has managed to fit an 8.9-kWh battery under the back seat without encroaching on seating or cargo space." -- Car and Driver

"The attractive 4-door-hatchback design rejects the more futuristic contours of some rivals, offering a look that’s part hatch, part small SUV. Competing head-on with the more fuel-efficient Toyota Prius, the now-discontinued Chevrolet Volt, and its own cousin the Hyundai Ioniq, the Niro faces stiff competition, but is up to the task of ferrying individuals and families who prioritize efficiency." -- Kelley Blue Book

Much of the groundbreaking efficiency and dynamic performance found in the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid can be attributed to its sophisticated Full Parallel Hybrid System. Combining a hybrid-optimized Atkinson cycle engine with a highly-efficient electric motor, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid offers a 26-mile all electric range rating** along with up to 46 combined MPG**. Through a regenerative braking system, the vehicle captures kinetic energy to recharge the battery. Unlike most hybrids which traditionally offer a continuous variable transmission (CVT), the Niro Plug-In Hybrid features a highly responsive, smooth-shifting dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) that provides a sport-inspired ride missing from the competition. Better still, it"s also eligible for a High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) decal in select states along with Federal and tax rebates***.

Positioned between recessed gauges directly in front of the driver is a Supervision Instrument Cluster featuring a 4.2-inch TFT LCD screen which makes it simple to see vital vehicle information like speed, fuel and distance in a split second. You can interact with your Niro Plug-In Hybrid right from your smartphone thanks to Kia"s UVO link system. Use functions like Off-Peak Charge Scheduling to maximize your savings by charging during off-peak electricity hours or Find Charging Stations to locate charge stations while on-the-go. You"ll have the ability to lock and unlock doors, start your motor, and set your cabin climate with heated accessories or AC - all before you reach your car.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid gives drivers plenty of options for charging up. Its high-capacity battery system recharges in less than two and a half hours with a 240V power outlet, and less than nine hours using a standard household electrical outlet for convenient overnight charging. You can even use the available Voice-Command Navigation System which provides turn-by-turn directions to help you locate the nearest charging station.

A perfect complement to the striking exterior looks of the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid, it sports an interior that is packed with carefully crafted comfort and convenience amenities. Designed to help you maximize every inch of interior space, a 60/40 split folding rear seat lets you arrange your cargo with complete flexibility. An available 10-Way Power Driver"s Seat lets you find your perfect seating position while the Integrated Memory Seat (IMS) system lets you keep it that way. Intuitive standard features found on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid include an auto-dimming rearview mirror and dual-zone AC. Optional leather seats include vibrant contrast stitching that gives the interior a personalized touch.

Tax Rebates: This incentive is offered by a third party and is subject to change without notice. Actual tax savings may vary and depend on your tax situation. Check with a tax professional and government agencies for eligibility and other details.

The updated Kia Stinger is revealed in full detail for the first time today, with the high-performance fastback sports sedan boasting a range of upgrades to amplify its gran turismo character.

In addition to its refreshed design, revealed earlier this month, the enhanced Kia Stinger includes Kia’s latest driver assist and safety features, as well as improved interior packaging for greater space and comfort. For North America, the upgraded model is also now offered with a powerful new ‘Smartstream’ 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.

“The Stinger remains the standard-bearer for the Kia brand, almost a decade after we first revealed the Kia GT Concept in 2011. It remains our most driver-focused car, and is capable of covering great distances in comfort and style,” said Thomas Schemera, Head of Product Division at Hyundai Motor Group. “The upgraded model builds on the Stinger’s well-established grand touring ethos, with a renewed sense of design flair, new powertrains and technologies, and greater usability enhancing its appeal for buyers in markets around the world.”

The new Kia Stinger will go on-sale in Korea during the third quarter of 2020, with sales due to commence in many of Kia’s global markets later in the year.

The upgraded Stinger offers a revised range of three powerful turbocharged gasoline engines, in line with its reputation as the most performance-focused car that Kia makes. Each engine offers swift acceleration and rapid responses to driver input, while offering a refined grand touring experience for steady cruises.

A new engine has been added to the Stinger line-up exclusively for North American customers. The new ‘Smartstream’ 2.5-liter T-GDi (turbocharged gasoline direct injection) engine sits directly between the two existing gasoline powertrains, producing 304 ps at 5,800 rpm. The maximum torque of the new four-cylinder engine, 422 Nm, is accessible from 1,650 to 4,000 rpm, making it easy for drivers to build and maintain speed in all conditions.

At the center of the Stinger’s upgraded cabin is an upgraded touchscreen infotainment system, providing new functionality to meet customers’ changing expectations of in-car technology.

Depending on market and specification, the upgraded Stinger is now available with an optional new 10.25-inch touchscreen display. Bluetooth multi-connection enables users to connect up to two mobile devices at the same time – one for hands-free phone and multimedia use; the other for media use only. Its advanced split-screen display lets users control or monitor different vehicle features at the same time, customizing the screen with a series of different widgets. The 10.25-inch system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, with a voice control system for many of the car’s features, such as heating and ventilation, audio and navigation.

A new 8.0-inch touchscreen display with a narrow-bezel design is also available, replacing the previous 7.0-inch system. Depending on market, the larger display also offers wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

Drivers have a choice of two instrument cluster displays, based on vehicle specification. The standard 3.5-inch mono-TFT cluster is now replaced with a larger 4.2-inch color-TFT LCD cluster, delivering improved visibility and displaying a wider range of information to the driver. In addition, a fully-digital, high-resolution 7.0-inch ‘Supervision’ cluster is available – a full-color display with vivid graphics for different driving modes, delivering crystal-clear information to the driver.

• Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) is now able to detect the edge of a road, as well as the lines in the road, providing steering assistance to prevent the driver leaving their lane without signaling

• A similar updated has been made for reversing out of parking bays, with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) now helping to prevent collisions with crossing vehicles while reversing (previously the system only warned the driver)

• Safe Exit Warning (SEW) detects vehicles coming up from behind on either side of the Stinger when parked and stopped, alerting occupants with a sound and visual warning if they attempt to open the door into oncoming traffic

• Kia’s cutting-edge Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM) technology acts as a ‘second pair of eyes’ for drivers by eliminating a driver’s left- and right-side blind spots. It displays a high-resolution video feed within the ‘Supervision’ digital instrument cluster if the driver indicates to change lane with another vehicle in their blind spot. The video feed comes from discreet wide-angle lenses hidden beneath the door mirror housings, giving drivers a wider viewing angle of their blind spots

The impressive new 12.3" LCD touchscreen infotainment and navigation system features split screen function, allowing you to tailor the display to your preferences from a multitude of options.

All Carnival models feature eight seats, giving you numerous seating and cargo combinations for a perfect balance of passenger comfort and practicality, and providing up to 2,785 litres of space with the second and third row seats folded down.

The rear tailgate opens automatically when the smart key is detected for 3 seconds or more, and closes with a simple push of a button. Your preferred opening height can also be set and stored in memory.

Forward Collision Avoidance Assist with Junction Turning is the latest development of this technology. In addition to vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, the system now also detects other road users on more acute angles, such as at an intersection, helping the driver safely navigate through, and applying the brakes if it detects an imminent collision.

Through four one-megapixel cameras installed on the new Carnival, the Around View Monitor can see the front, rear and sides of the vehicle, along with a birds-eye view with zoom in/out function.

Lane Keep Assist detects the vehicle"s current lane of travel, sounding audio and visual alerts if the vehicle begins to drift outside of its lane without the driver indicating, while also providing small steering controls to guide the vehicle back into the lane of travel. Lane Follow Assist works alongside this system, automatically steering the vehicle to keep it in the centre of the lane whenever it detects the vehicle unintentionally veering.

The Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist system uses sensors to monitor vehicles in or approaching your blind spots. In addition to audio and visual alerts on the outside mirrors and cluster, a new differential braking system will step in if it detects an imminent collision with a vehicle in your blind spot, applying the Carnival"s brakes.