Zonal architecture solves automotive
challenges by decentralizing electronics into
functional zones, reducing wiring complexity,
improving data processing efficiency, and
enhancing safety and cybersecurity. It
supports scalability for new technologies,
reduces integration costs, and facilitates
advanced vehicle features like autonomous
driving and electrification, making vehicles
more adaptable and efficient."
Yashavanth Rajappa
System Engineering Group Lead, Continental Automotive
C h a p t e r 1
The automotive market has seen the constant
development of new vehicle-based technologies,
including critical safety features and greater
performance or advanced systems to improve
functionality and passenger comfort. The electronic
systems within the modern vehicle can represent
more than half of its value, with manufacturers
constantly adding new features. Despite vehicles
offering a wealth of innovative technologies for
drivers, manufacturing approaches have not
significantly changed in decades.
The installation of new features is usually
accompanied by the need for new components
that must be connected to onboard systems. The
increasing use of electronics in vehicles has rendered
THE EVOLUTION OF
NEW AUTOMOTIVE
ARCHITECTURES
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Zonal Architecture: Delivering New Standards of Connectivity for Automotive and Beyond