Conformity Magazine

The new car that I picked up from the dealer last month came straight from their inventory, and was equipped with all kinds of options that I would never have ordered on my own. But December was a slow month for car dealers, and I got what I thought was a great deal, which somewhat mollified my typical parsimony when it comes to buying a new vehicle.

The cool options on this new car include a “parking assist” feature that warns me with lights and sounds when I get too close to a parked vehicle either in front of or behind me. And, there’s a feature called “voice control” which allows me to change radio stations and dial phone numbers on my Bluetooth-enabled phone by speaking simple commands to a hidden microphone. These are, of course, in addition to satellite radio, and a GPS system that not only plans my trip but identifies the nearest gas stations, should I forget to fill-up.

Maybe it’s just another one of those slippery slopes for consumers, but I’m a sucker for technology and you can be sure that I will insist on having these “options” on my next vehicle. Of course, by the time I’m ready for that new car years from now, it’s likely that these and other features will in fact be part of the vehicle’s “standard equipment,” much in the same way that airbags and anti-lock brakes are now standard on almost every car out there.

The automotive marketplace is more competitive than ever, and manufacturers are rushing to distinguish their vehicles from those of their competitors by adding as many new technology features as possible. In addition, manufacturers know that younger, technology-savvy buyers are attracted to hip technology features like moths to a flame. So, in a break from the past, in which the most advanced technology was first available only on high-end vehicles, manufacturers are making features like voice control available even on entry-level models.

The new Ford-Microsoft SYNC system is just one example of a manufacturer’s efforts to play off the “iPod effect,” that is, to attract younger buyers by building buzz around cool technologies. One Ford dealer reports that potential customers from this lucrative target market are entering their showroom, and asking not to look at a specific car model, but to “see the car with SYNC.”

Automobiles embraced the electronics age years ago (when was the last time anyone even heard of a manual choke?). But the new frenzy to integrate consumer electronic conveniences means that EMC test and design issues related to automotive applications have become a “front-and-center” concern for manufactures of electronic devices. That’s why our readers may be interested in two upcoming programs, sponsored by the IEEE EMC Society, which deal with the automotive EMC issues.

The first program, “2008 Automotive EMC Standards Workshop,” will be held on February 26-27 at the University of Michigan—Dearborn. Co-sponsored by the Society for Automotive Engineering (SAE), the workshop will present EMC specification change highlights from several leading manufacturers, and review key automotive EMC standards.

The second program, “Advances in Automotive EMC Test and Design,” will be held on Wednesday, March 12, at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville, South Carolina. The program will feature separate presentations by six industry experts who will share practical information in an open-meeting format.

Our readers can learn more about the Automotive EMC Standards Workshop at the University of Michigan at www.emcsociety.org/autoemc2008.html. Those interested in the Automotive EMC Design and Test program at Clemson can go to www.brennanassoc.net/advance-program-clemson-final.pdf, or contact Professor Todd Hubing at t.hubing@ieee.org.

Bill von Achen, Managing Editor
bvonachen@conformity.com