Why can Chinese automotive design seize the opportunity in the tide of new energy and intelligence? Let's shift our focus from the host factory to the upstream supply chain, where part of the answer lies. On June 21, 2024, the EAC2024 Automotive Industry Conference and Exhibition was grandly opened at the Suzhou International Expo Center.

The development of an industry is not just about gathering resources, but also requires sparks of inspiration and the exchange of knowledge. During the exhibition, multiple professional themed forums were held, providing a platform for professionals in the industry to communicate and collaborate.

The forum focuses on three sections: new energy&thermal management, intelligent driving, interior and exterior decoration, and intelligent cockpit. It brings together more than 500 speakers, industry experts, scholars, and corporate executives to discuss the development prospects and technological innovation paths of the automotive industry.

Among them, hot topics such as future automotive design, intelligent cockpit, and CMF design have been specifically set up. In these forums, through in-depth communication and discussion, participants not only shared their research results and practical experience, but also collided with many new sparks of thinking, providing valuable references and inspirations for the further development of the industry.

The holding of these forums not only promotes cooperation and communication among various parties in the industry, but also provides new inspiration and ideas for automotive designers and engineers. Through a deep understanding of market demand and technological trends, designers can more accurately grasp the development direction of future automotive design, and create more intelligent, comfortable, and environmentally friendly automotive products for users.

Li Yanlong, the head of the Automotive Design Department and doctoral supervisor at Tongji University, discussed the concept of "New Ecology, New Design" and emphasized the innovative path of automotive design in the context of the new era.

Pier Luigi Ferrari, Vice President of Geely Innovation Design Institute, shared "Geely's Design Way: Innovation in Inheritance", highlighting the continuous innovation and evolution in design inheritance.

Pontus Fontaeus, Executive Design Director of GAC Advanced Design Los Angeles, elaborated on the new era significance of technology, collaboration, and emotion in design under the theme of "Technology, Collaboration, and Love - The New Era".

At the CMF Design Forum, Ye Lijuan, Director of Forward Strategy Designer at the Serys Automotive Industry Design Center, discussed the use of fragrance systems in olfactory design to create a sense of sophistication, technology, and warmth in spaces, with the theme of "Reconstructing Travel Experience through Atmosphere Perception", in conjunction with the WENJIE series.

The technological advancement of hardware products has also brought more imagination to automotive design. Lidar, which is indispensable in the field of intelligent driving, is iterating towards being stronger, smaller, and cheaper, and its impact and limitations on car design are becoming smaller and smaller.

The general impression of LiDAR is that it is placed in the front position of the car roof, with a protrusion, which is also an important symbol of many models that focus on intelligent driving assistance systems. In fact, depending on the technology, LiDAR can also be installed behind the front windshield, in the bumper, and on both side fenders.

With the latest technology, further miniaturized LiDAR can also be integrated into the headlight assembly. More flexible settings allow for greater freedom in the design of car styling, layout, and wiring harnesses.

The latest product from Hesai, ATX, has a 60% reduction in overall volume and half the weight compared to AT128. The minimum exposed window height is only 25 mm, achieving a more compact and lightweight design.

Zhang Tong, the project and product leader of Hesai Technology's vehicle regulations, stated that the unit price of a laser radar used for L2 level intelligent assisted driving has significantly decreased. With such component industry prices, the penetration rate of laser radar for domestic new energy vehicles with 150000 yuan or more has reached 18%.

About EAC2024 EasyTrade Automotive Industry Conference

This exhibition covers three major areas: new energy&thermal management, intelligent driving, interior and exterior decoration, and future cockpit. It is also a supply chain field closely related to new energy and intelligence, which can be said to be an important breakthrough direction for automotive technology and design in the future.

This time, there were over 400 exhibitors from around the world in the automotive front-end supply chain, involving upstream and downstream industry chain enterprises such as new energy vehicles and intelligent vehicles. They showcased new technologies, solutions, and products in the field of new energy and intelligence, providing unique perspectives and abundant resources for industry enterprises and practitioners to understand forward-looking technologies, discover innovative solutions, and optimize supply chains.