How car parts suppliers can adapt to autonomous vehicles
It’s 2019 and we’re closer to having driverless cars on our roads than ever before. But what can car parts suppliers do to keep up? We spoke to Mark Barclay, Ecommerce Manager at GSF Car Parts, who told us how suppliers can adapt to the introduction of autonomous vehicles.
The UK government’s target of having driverless cars on our roads from 2021 is drawing nearer, and we need to be prepared for the change. In this article, I’ll be telling you how car parts suppliers can adapt to an age of autonomous vehicles.
Partnerships with technology companies
With the development of more advanced vehicles, the industry is gradually moving away from the classic automotive and engineering companies and more towards the technology sector. Autonomous vehicles will rely on artificial intelligence to work, and big software companies like Google are already showing an interest in being involved. For car parts suppliers, this means we’re going to need to generate close relationships with these software companies in order to survive.
Adapting to become battery and software specialists
Car parts suppliers are well-trained in the art of mechanical systems, but the fact that autonomous vehicles will have a complete reliance on more modern technology means that we’re going to have to adapt our skill base to fit the changing face of the industry. We’re going to need to embrace the future of transport and adapt by becoming battery and software specialists who are also trained in robotics and artificial intelligence. We’ll need to know the ins and outs of the new vehicles, so we know exactly what to stock and what parts our customers need.
More focus on certain divisions
Not only will we need to concentrate on software, but we’ll also need to focus on the more specialised equipment needed for autonomous cars, such as sensors. Most modern cars are now already fitted with parking sensors, but these will need to be developed even further and in a much bigger volume if we plan on having cars that can pick up all hazards. We’ll need to completely alter our stock to keep up with the growing demand for the sensory, robotic and software technology that’ll make the driverless vehicles safe enough for our roads.
Autonomous vehicles are definitely the future and, like with any new technology, suppliers need to adapt to keep up. But, by following these key changes, it’ll be a whole lot easier to survive in the industry.
