For the new cars listed in recent years, our intuitive feeling for their interiors is that the screen is getting bigger and bigger, the buttons are getting fewer and fewer, the network is getting faster and faster, and the functions of the car machine are more and more... That's right, this is the "smart cockpit" field that has been in full swing in recent years.
In fact, as Gen Z consumers who grew up on the mobile Internet become the mainstream of car consumption, their demand for safe travel, efficient travel and pleasant travel has prompted car companies to change from the hardware-driven way of the past to today's user experience-driven research and development. Today we visited Ford's Enterprise Connectivity and Digital Experience (ECDX) team in Shanghai's "Foton Valley", and experienced Ford's exploration and innovation of the future digital cockpit trend in the Chinese market.
First, let's talk about Ford's dedicated ECDX team in January 2021. The new team focuses on product innovation, development and delivery of the smart cockpit full link, covering the vast majority of Ford and Lincoln domestic models in China. The business scope includes pre-product research, innovative design of human-computer interaction, big data analysis, cloud computing, network security, development, testing and verification of IVI software and mobile APP on the car side, and the development and application of C-V2X vehicle-to-road collaboration system. The SYNC+2.0 system on ford EVOS, which we are familiar with, and the intelligent networking system of future Lincoln brand, Mustang Mach-E and other models are also developed by this team.
At this digital experience day, we also mainly focused on the upgrade points of existing products, the aesthetic and functional innovations of the next-generation system, and the planning of the smart cockpit in the medium and long term Ford China.
First of all, based on the latest products, such as the Ford EVOS and the smart cockpit on the new generation of Mondeo, we have actually experienced it.
Whether from the hardware or software level, we can find that Ford's new products are indeed in fluency, display effect, UI interface design beyond the average level of traditional fuel vehicles, 1.1 meters wide 27-inch 4K display can bring excellent visual effects, with the SYNC +2.0 system in the UI also has a new change, this experience is mainly for existing products in the voice interaction, vehicle application ecology and other aspects of optimization, such as and Tencent, Internet companies such as Baidu have carried out more in-depth cooperation to meet the needs of consumers in more scenarios.
In addition, the new generation of car and machine systems is also in the development stage, because the current creative ideas have not yet landed, so today we focus on explaining the new concept of the Ford Digital Life Pod proposed by the ECDX team behind the products and ideas.
Ford believes that the definition of smart cars is far greater than the traditional means of transportation or a single theme of the "third space", but needs to meet the user's needs for private gatherings, work, entertainment and relaxation, improvisation. Intelligent Life Cabin is a new and open vehicle digital platform, which can drive changes in cockpit space planning according to the richness of the scene, and create a unique and continuously upgraded intelligent cockpit digital experience for users.
The Ford Smart Living Capsule is divided into five main themes: gathering space, mobile workstation, music creation room, adventure partner, and esports center. Each theme is composed of a number of digital modules that combine soft and hard in the car, which can be customized and combined according to the core needs of the target group of different models. Yes, this is Ford's intelligent network development concept based on "user scenario demand to drive software development, and then drive hardware landing."
Full text summary: By establishing an exclusive team of intelligent cockpits, Ford China will combine Ford's global century-old experience in car manufacturing, local Internet ecology and rich global intelligent networking experience, based on data empowerment and agile development model, and is committed to creating a continuously optimized, personalized and immersive full-cycle intelligent cockpit digital experience for Chinese consumers. We have already seen such a trend in the new generation of Mondeo, and as to whether we can turn the trend into a winning trend, we need to see how fast Ford China is moving forward, we will wait and see.