The future of cars – paving a new way for display technology

A shift in the U.S. automotive industry

The shape of the automotive industry is rapidly changing with the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) and the development of automated driving technology. How will cars change amidst these changes? The American automotive industry is currently undergoing major changes.

The environment surrounding the automotive industry in the U.S.

In the U.S., the massive changes brought by EVs. The impact has been so great in the U.S. Although the EV market has been mostly dominated by large companies, it can suddenly be turned upside down by a startup.

In fact, the leading emerging EV manufacturer in the U.S., despite having been on the verge of bankruptcy several times, sold more than 400,000 units through pre-orders alone when it announced a new model. And when news broke that production of the car was on track, its stock price jumped sharply.

The speed of technological innovation is beyond the conventional wisdom of the automotive industry. It is reminiscent of the past, when smartphones, introduced more than a decade ago, revolutionized the world by transforming the ‘phone’ into a completely different device. Dexerials believe that by keeping up with trends and applying new technologies we have cultivated in the display and sensor industries, we will be able to dive into the automotive market.

The “international division of labor” changes automobile production processes

The automotive industry is undergoing major changes due to advances in EVs and autonomous driving. What is now required from materials manufacturers are implementation services.

 Dexerials are a materials manufacturer that utilizes chemical technology to create new products, but we are not in business simply because we are materials experts. We believe that it is important to quickly identify potential customer needs, and to provide broader solutions through materials. Our ‘Optical Bonding Service (OBS)’ is one such service. In order to envision a business that builds on OBS, it is vital to have a deep understanding of future cars being developed by American, European, Japanese and other Asian car OEM.

Envision cars of the future to be?

One is a change in production methods. We expect that the international division of labor used in PCs and smartphone production, which progressed rapidly in the 2010s, will become mainstream in EV production. Conventional automobiles with internal combustion engines are assembled using the ‘assembly line production’ method, in which tens of thousands of parts, including complex engines and gears, are put together efficiently. On the other hand, since EVs powered by electricity have a simple mechanical structure, vehicles can be made by producing and combining individual parts such as the motor, the battery, and the chassis separately.

In fact, major Taiwanese and Chinese consumer electronics companies have begun to invest in emerging EV manufacturers. We foresee that new players will appear one after another all over the world. Major car OEM are also getting serious about EV production and are eager to introduce new technologies and materials beyond their existing affiliated parts manufacturers. We will keep an eye on both of these trends and participate in the development of new EVs.

Applying the technology developed for consumer electronics to vehicles in the future

Future cars will eventually make drivers obsolete. Through its products, Dexerials is committed to providing an environment where people can spend more time comfortably in their cars as they transform into living spaces.

How the role of automobiles is likely to change.

Another major change regarding the future of cars is that the development of autonomous driving technology will transform the interior of automobiles into a more comfortable living space. At present, we are still in the Level 2 stage, where driving is partially supported by driver assistance systems (ADAS). But as we move up to Level 3 and Level 4, people will no longer need to drive. We’ll soon be able to do things like watch a movie projected onto the windshield while traveling. For now, our materials can be utilized in sensor technologies that support autonomous driving.

The time is coming when the display and sensor technologies we have developed over the years will be put to even greater use. We envision a future where we first apply knowledge we acquired in the consumer electronics industry, including PCs, TVs, and smartphones, to automobiles. Then we will transfer the technology we have honed in automobiles to new fields such as IoT and next-generation communications. In terms of business development, we intend to further expand our global business. Along with continuing to approach global leading EV automakers, we aim to expand our business in China, Taiwan, and other Asian countries where EV manufacturers are emerging.

For Dexerials, the automotive industry will have a significant impact on the company’s future development.