In 
connected car news are Ronald Berger, Hyundai, Ford, Ansys and AWS.
Why Some Chips Are Up and Others Are Down
From Ronald Berger
Older-generation semiconductors, on the other hand – those that are often still used in automotive and industrial electronics – are set to remain in short supply for the foreseeable future. These are some of the key findings of the study “Semiconductor shortage: A different kind of trouble ahead” by Roland Berger.
“We are still seeing a structural shortage of analog semiconductors and microcontrollers that will last several years. Lower demand for computers and consumer electronics does provide some relief for the semiconductor industry. But it will make capacity and inventory planning even more difficult for both, the manufacturers of microchips and the companies that use them,” says Falk Meissner, Partner at Roland Berger. “We have the unusual situation of seeing shortages, overcapacities and oversupply of semiconductors all at the same time.”
High inventories vs. chip shortages
There is currently an oversupply in the market for nearly half of the chips needed in consumer electronics, while in computers the oversupply amounts to almost 40% and in telecommunications 34%. On the other hand, there is a shortage of analog semiconductors and microcontroller units (MCU), and these account for almost two-thirds of the chips installed in the automotive sector and 57% of those used in the industrial sector.
Electronic manufacturing services for electronic components, such as smartphones and televisions, increased their inventory levels from the historical average of 16% (2012-2020) to 23% (2020-2021). This initially exacerbated the chip shortage for high-performance chips. Now, as global demand for these chips subsides, there is an increased risk of a bullwhip effect – where even small changes in end customer demand can lead to increasingly large fluctuations in order quantities along the multi-level supply chain. To avoid negative financial impacts or even scrapping stocks, these companies need to change the way they approach inventory management.
The newly passed laws to promote domestic semiconductor production in the United States (US Chip Act) and Europe (European Chip Act) do little to change the situation. Lead times are very long and, furthermore, there is almost no support for the production of older chip generations. In the USA, for example, only USD 2 billion, or 5%, of the USD 39 billion in subsidies for semiconductor production is allocated to older-generation chip manufacturing.
Buyers of semiconductors must use the coming months to build capability in strategic chip management and significantly increase supply chain visibility. Automotive suppliers and contract manufacturers will particularly need to optimize their inventories as well as their cash and cost management.
“Automotive and industrial companies need to adapt to the market practices of the electronics and semiconductor industry in order to secure their chip supply. That will include always using the latest generation of chips and having a risk-adjusted procurement policy. Companies cannot just wait for the chip shortage to pass – they will need to be very proactive themselves,” Meissner sums up.
All Hyundai (except) NEXo have Rear Occupant Alerts
Hyundai has exceeded its voluntary commitment to implement rear seat reminder systems in most of its product line-up. To date, all 2023 Hyundai vehicles (excluding NEXO) produced for sale in the U.S. offer Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) technology as standard. Additionally, a more advanced ultra-sonic ROA technology is offered as optional on a number of Hyundai vehicles and standard on the Santa Fe PHEV and Santa Fe HEV . ROA technology reminds the driver to check the backseat area to ensure a child or pet isn’t accidentally left in the rear seat after parking. The system helps prevent pediatric heatstroke from kids being left inside a parked vehicle.
“Hyundai is committed to providing leading-edge safety technologies for our customers, passengers and for other road users,” said Brian Latouf, global chief safety officer, Hyundai Motor Company. “With Hyundai’s standard safety technology offerings, including – Rear Occupant Alert (ROA), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with Pedestrian Detection/Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keep Assist (LKA) /Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Driver Attention Warning (DAW), Hyundai is helping our customers avoid crashes and minimize the likelihood of fatalities and injuries on the road. These safety accomplishments are another proof point of Hyundai’s leadership in the automotive industry.”
According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), heatstroke is one of the leading causes of non-crash-related fatalities among children. According to research data by the National Safety Council (NCS), 936 children have died from vehicular heatstroke since 1998 and 29 children in 2022. Vehicle heatstroke occurs when a child is left in a hot vehicle, allowing for the child’s temperature to rise in a quick and deadly manner. To further prevent such tragedies, NHTSA requested voluntary industry commitments to make ROA standard on virtually all light-duty vehicles.
All 2023 model year Hyundai vehicles also include Automatic Emergency Braking Technology/Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist as standard, a goal Hyundai achieved two-years in advance of the government 2022 commitment.
Hyundai also reminds drivers and passengers to always wear safety belts, use appropriate child seats and focus on the drive.
Ford & ChromeData Partner
Ford Motor Company and J.D. Power ChromeData, a leading provider of vehicle data and software solutions, announced an agreement to use Ford and Lincoln vehicle build data for ChromeData VIN Descriptions.
Ford and Lincoln vehicle build data provides OEM-sourced vehicle information from the time a vehicle was manufactured, allowing for more accurate insurance quotes, which ultimately benefits customers.
“We are committed to help Ford and Lincoln customers get the most accurate insurance quotes for their vehicle. This is another way we are helping provide value to our customers as part of owning a Ford or Lincoln,” said Amy Graham, Services Marketing director at Ford Motor Company.
Ford’s manufacturing data provides a comprehensive view of a vehicle’s feature content. When cross-referenced with the extensive ChromeData Vehicle Catalog, this information can provide precise VIN descriptions – which are critical for insurance companies, dealers, financers, marketers, and valuation services. With this agreement, ChromeData will have access to build data for approximately 80% of the automotive brands sold in the U.S.
“For nearly three decades, ChromeData has set the standard for the most accurate, timely and complete vehicle data and content in the industry,” said Craig Jennings, president of the Autodata Solutions division at J.D. Power. “Not only does Ford’s vehicle build data further expand the benefits of our services, but it also provides dealers and other industry partners with a better understanding of which features come with each Ford and Lincoln vehicle.”
Ansys Gateway by AWS
Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS) announced availability of Ansys Gateway powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), which allows customers to use popular Ansys products in one unique workspace on AWS – helping simplify access to faster, more flexible, and highly scalable engineering solutions. Ansys Gateway powered by AWS is available in AWS Marketplace and makes it possible for customers to easily access, subscribe and configure Ansys applications from a single location. Customers will also benefit from the accelerated performance of Ansys applications enhanced on AWS.
Ansys Gateway powered by AWS features on-demand access to Ansys applications and high-performance computing (HPC) resources on the cloud as part of a strategy designed to make simulation software more affordable. Customers can manage and control computer-aided design (CAD) / computer-aided engineering (CAE) cloud consumption and costs on AWS while taking advantage of the scalable hardware and compute capacity. This offering provides seamless cloud support for both Ansys applications as well as other popular CAE/CAD software. With control over their hybrid architecture, customers can bring their own licenses to Ansys Gateway powered by AWS and easily manage user access, permissions, data and security.
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With Ansys Gateway powered by AWS, customers gain instant, intuitive access to Ansys applications. In addition to reducing time to market, customers can reduce costs by paying for cloud resources only when they are being used.