7/30/2019 Automotive designing 3
1/2
Fut ur e tr ends | Aut om ot ivedesign| About design|
DesignCouncil
org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Future-trends/
We use cookies to improve your experience of our website. By
continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our
use of cookies. Find out more X
Home > About design > Types of design > Transport
Design > Automotive design >
Future trends
Future trends in automotive designEnvironmental concerns,
changing demographics and a lust for innovation are just a few of
the factors
set to influence the future of automotive design. Chris Clements
and Dr Samantha Porter assess the
trends in detail.
Eco-friendly vehicles
The Toyota Prius was one of the first user-friendly gas/electric
hybrid cars capable of delivering an impressive 60
miles per gallon in city driving. Other eco technical advances
have entered mainstream motoring, recently.Displacement on Demand
(DoD) is seen in high performance, large engined cars such as the
Chrysler 300C
HEMI. Four out of the eight cylinders imperceptibly shut down
when the car is cruising. Another alternative,
introduced at the bottom end of the market is stop-start,
appearing in the Citroen petrol engine and SensoDrive
clutchless gearbox cuts out when you stop at traffic lights or
in slow moving traffic, and re-starts when you take
your foot off the brake. Alternative clean technologies are
likely to continue to proliferate over the next few years
as governments and manufacturers have increasing pressure placed
upon them to reduce emissions, which will, in
turn, impact on the styling of cars.
Mass customisation
Increasingly, individuals want to purchase vehicles that reflect
their lifestyles and their individuality. This is a trend
that futurists argue is set to continue. This is manifest in the
vehicles we are seeing on the road. For example, the
new Mini has 76 free available (customisation) options for the
customer and the average further spend on extras
is over 2000. The Citroen C3 Pluriel offers a French lifestyle
chic and the customer is able to choose between
the cabriolet RV, the cabriolet, the open top, the panoramic and
the hatchback versions.
Inclusive design
Increased longevity, a greater number of older people holding
driving licenses and escalating affluence are just
some of the factors contributing to a rise in the number of
older drivers. Both the interior and the exterior of the
car will be affected by the accommodation of the older user. The
automotive manufacturers have already realised
the importance of this demographic and have begun to invest in
it. For example, in 2000 Lear Corporations
TransG interior concept was designed from the inside-out. A
panel of consumers between the ages of 50 and
70 (mean age 65) was consulted throughout the design process.
The powered seats swivel to meet the user and
are electrically adjustable. Dashboard and controls are simple
and uncluttered and formatted according to the
ergonomics principles of usage, frequency and sequence of use.
In the same year the Royal College of Art
convened a conference, Moving On: The future of city transport
where a key consideration for all forms of
http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Future-trends/#http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/Privacy-Policy/
7/30/2019 Automotive designing 3
2/2
Fut ur e tr ends | Aut om ot ivedesign| About design|
DesignCouncil
org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Future-trends/
TweetTweet 0 0Like 0
transport was the ageing population. Also Fiat launched its
Autonomy programme in 1998, exploring the way in
which new technologies and ergonomics can be applied effectively
to meeting the mobility needs of older and
disabled people. The intention was to integrate findings into
commercial vehicle design and production. Much of
Fiats research was manifest in Lancias Nea concept model shown
in Paris in 2000.
Regulations
The Disability Discrimination Act does not, at the moment,
affect automotive design, although it impact uponpublic transport.
Potentially, this could change in the future. Additionally, the
notion of guided vehicles offers new
opportunities to both the elderly and the disabled.
Find out more about the Disability Discrimination Act on the
Department of Work and Pensions website
Previous Next
Design Council
Legal notice: By using this website you agree to be bound by our
Conditions of use.
The Design Council is not responsible for content on external
websites linked to from this site.
ShareShare
http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/Conditions-of-use/http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Examples/http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Key-challenges/http://www.dwp.gov.uk/employers/dda/http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Future-trends/#http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Future-trends/#http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Future-trends/#http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/Types-of-design/Transport-Design/Automotive-design/Future-trends/#http://twitter.com/search?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.designcouncil.org.uk%2Fabout-design%2FTypes-of-design%2FTransport-Design%2FAutomotive-design%2FFuture-trends%2Fhttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.designcouncil.org.uk%2Fabout-design%2FTypes-of-design%2FTransport-Design%2FAutomotive-design%2FFuture-trends%2F&text=Future%20trends%20%7C%20Automotive%20design%20%7C%20About%20design%20%7C%20Design%20Council%3A&tw_p=tweetbutton&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.designcouncil.org.uk%2Fabout-design%2FTypes-of-design%2FTransport-Design%2FAutomotive-design%2FFuture-trends%2F%23.UNv3ncElJrM.twitter
