VISTEON E-BEE — NEW IDEAS FOR MOBILITY

Traffic congestion is a major problem for motorists these days and although multiple efforts to counter it are un-

derway, a magic wand solution is unlikely. Wouldn’t it be good if one could call for a car at a desired place, drive

it to a destination and leave it for someone else to use thereon, without having to bother about the issues of us-

ing a different car next day? Visteon’s e-Bee concept car lends a peek into the future of mobility, including car-

sharing, private ownership and rental usage. Besides, the vehicle also showcases some key connectivity and

convenience technologies of the future.

INTRODUCTION

Visteon Corporation recently show-

cased its vision for mobility in the

year 2020 to the Indian media in

Chennai. The technology show-

case was spearheaded by the

display of the e-Bee concept

car, which is based on the

Nissan Leaf electric vehicle.

Apart from highlighting the

car-sharing and connectiv-

ity potential, the concept

also showcased the inte-

gration of cloud-based pro-

file storage and touch-based

controls. We bring to you a

detailed insight into Viste-

on’s interpretation of future

mobility along with a brief

on some existing and short-

term technologies earmarked

for India.

E-BEE – MOBILITY IN 2020

The term ‘Bee’ in the name of the

vehicle refers to the behaviour of

honey bees in the natural environment.

Drawing a parallel between this colonial

behaviour, the name reflects the car’s

ability to gather and provide driver-

friendly data, while acting as a part of the

mobility network and working in har-

mony with the environment.

With a strong focus on car-sharing, the

e-Bee has flexibility as its mainstay within

its interface technologies. Based on the

regional and market requirements, the

user-interface can be customised to lend a

personalised in-cabin experience. A driver

can choose to save his/her human

machine interface (HMI) preferences and

hence be able to restore his settings in a

different vehicle at any time. This trans-

lates into a personalised experience

despite the vehicle being changed, mak-

ing it easier for people to adapt to the car-

sharing model.

The interior design is eye-catching and

futuristic, primarily owing to the absence

of a conventional dashboard or HVAC

upfront. The Integrated Climate System

Module consists of a self-contained heat

pump system along with an integrated

T ECHNOL OGY VISTEON

www.autotechreview.com50

HVAC and the refrigerant system in single

module. This not only saves space but

also lowers vehicle weight, further aiding

efficiency.

The unit comprises of an electric com-

pressor with an integrated motor, which

makes it possible for heating or cooling to

be operational, irrespective of the drive

status. Hence, one could keep the cabin

cool during summer even when the car’s

drive motor is off. Another key inclusion

in the cabin is a Head Up Display (HUD)

panel, which brings up all of the driving

related critical data to the driver’s line of

sight. The e-Bee’s HUD is compact and

hence can easily be integrated into a car,

while offering space-saving benefits. A

flexible design means it can be incorpo-

rated into any vehicle architecture, mak-

ing it a flexible and cost-effective solution

for OEMs.

Advancing further in the area of vehi-

cle connectivity, Visteon showcased its

Mid-Range Infotainment Platform on the

e-Bee. The open source architecture of the

system allows for a lower engineering cost

by offering regular technology updates.

The system can source data and music

from the cloud as well as local sources,

allowing for the system to act as a person-

alised music and information hub. From

an OEM perspective, such system allows

for a regular contact with the consumer

beyond the sale of the vehicle.

A key feature of the entertainment sys-

tem witnessed by us was the four-zone

individual speakers, integrated within the

seats. This allows for the passengers to

listen to different sound outputs, without

any sound interruption or overlap. In real

world, this could mean that all occupants

can have better dialogue within the cabin

and also enjoy their privacy, when

needed. The infotainment system can

seamlessly pair with a smartphone or tab-

let and also charge it wirelessly, making

connected mobility even more

convenient.

Lightweighting was another focus area

we came across while experiencing the

car. Surprisingly, there is no metal cross-

car beam in the car, which makes way for

a solution based on glass fibres thermo-

plastic composites. Use of expanded poly-

propylene in interior components offers a

one-third weight reduction over conven-

tional material. From a design perspective

the cockpit goes a step further as it has no

airbags! Airbags are instead integrated in

the vehicle roof, which according to

Visteon helps in offering more space to

the occupants and also reduces weight,

without compromising safety.

ROUND-UP

At the event we also got a chance to

speak to Bertrand Stelandre, Head, Auto

Envision Design & Innovation Europe,

Visteon Innovation & Technology GmbH

and Subu Nagasubramony, MD, Visteon

India Operations & Climate Products,

Asia. Popularly known as the father of the

e-Bee, Stelandre believes the vehicle is a

glimpse into the future mobility technolo-

gies, which will make it possible for the

increasing traffic to become more man-

ageable, while offering occupants higher

levels of comfort and convenience.

The event also played host to a num-

ber of technologies developed especially

for the Indian market. These included a

new infotainment system developed col-

laboratively with engineers at Visteon’s

technical centres in Chennai and Pune.

The system offers multi-device connectiv-

ity and is capable of system improve-

ments through software updates. The

scalable architecture of the system means

it can handle the rapidly shortening prod-

uct development cycles within the elec-

tronics space. Other key technologies on

display included a camera-enhanced cock-

pit for improved safety and an in-vehicle

wireless charging device and a fully auto-

mated temperature control system.

Visteon Interiors too displayed an

injected expanded polypropylene (IEPP)

material for door trims, claimed to be

lighter than a normal injection moulded

part, while being affordable and easy to

recycle. The division is also introducing a

piano black moulded technology in India,

which involves a new tooling and mate-

rial combination that achieves high gloss

specifications without painting.

Nagasubramony considers India to be

an important market and plans to improve

the company’s presence in the country

through new products and increased pro-

duction. The market-specific products on

display were a practical example of the

company’s commitment to the market.

At the end of the day, we did walk

away from the event with a stronger

insight into the increasing importance of

electronics and connectivity-based solu-

tions. These solutions will play a critical

role in determining our foray into the next

era of mobility, which faces more chal-

lenges than ever. If the e-Bee and its tech-

nologies are anything to go by, the future

of mobility surely seems more entertain-

ing and convenient along with being effi-

cient and personalised. Calling in for a car

to go to office, ordering a pizza to be

delivered in the car while on the move,

listening to a favourite number and

resuming your music next day from

where you left it, despite the car being dif-

ferent – is what the future will be like. At

the same time, the car would be seam-

lessly interacting with the infrastructure

and other cars to offer a safer and effi-

cient journey. And all of this is could be a

commercial reality sooner than expected.

TEXT & PHOTO: Arpit Mahendra

The touch-based screens are customisable to multiple user preferences, using cloud services

Read this article on

www.autotechreview.com

51autotechreview October 2013 Vo lume 2 | Is sue 10