The global four wheeler industry is made up of two segments: passenger cars that are meant for personal use and commercial vehicles that are meant for commercial use. Both these segments operate under contrast market dynamics with different customer behavior and value chain. The passenger cars segment is witnessing steady growth owing to the rising preference for personal vehicles by families and individuals across the world. On the contrary, the commercial vehicle segment is witnessing healthy growth rate, offering high volumes contributed by countries such as the US and China. The key reasons for such growth is the higher load bearing capacity, cost effectiveness, and comfort of these vehicles.

The automotive industry is witnessing structural changes since the past decade in the form of engine downsizing, electrification of automotive mechanism, emission regulations, connectivity, and safety. The industry is directly correlated with the economic environment and consumer confidence. The industry had witnessed a downfall during the 2008 sub-prime crisis with automotive sales plummeting along with the major North American OEMs facing financial troubles. During 2010-2012, the industry recovered from the sub-prime crisis with automotive sales reaching to prerecession levels in North America.

The interest of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in modifying the instrument cluster to enhance user experience, offer more useful information, and at the same time improve the aesthetics of the vehicle have collectively lead to several innovative versions of the instrument cluster. Electronic instrument clusters have been in the market as early as the 1970s. However, the recent trend skewing from analog to digital systems is paving a conducive technological environment to enable reconfiguration of instrument clusters. In line with this, OEMs are commercializing the same in several vehicle variants (not confining to high-end cars). It is for this reason that the instrument clusters that bear a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) screen as display (as can be reconfigured) can be referred to as automotive reconfigurable instrument cluster.

Racing tires are high-performance tires that are customized for use in racing vehicles. The production of racing tires is capital-intensive and requires a significant degree of hi-tech equipment coupled with highly trained and skilled manpower dedicated to the purpose of engineering and manufacturing. Racing tires are designed to deliver superior performance demanded by racing conditions, and therefore undergo various quality, durability, and speed tests. Natural and synthetic rubber are the primary raw materials in the manufacture of tires. But textile reinforcements like rayon, aramid, nylon, and polyester are also used to manufacture racing tires.

Globally, around 1.3 million people are killed worldwide in road accidents every year. Out of these deaths, nearly 90% are caused by human error, with driver error being the cause behind an estimated 80% of these accidents. This creates a market requirement for a viable and effective pedestrian protection system. Usage of PPS is expected to reduce the rate of pedestrian fatalities by 10%-15% and the rate of pedestrian injuries by 15%-17%. The lower reduction rates are the result of an expected driver misuse of PPS by intentionally disengaging the system.

For generations, the only way to train teenagers and young drivers to drive properly was to use scare tactics. Parents have been known to use the jail or some authority figure to put fear into the minds of impressionable teens — should they over speed, they would be hauled in by the police; drunken driving would attract fines and jail terms — the works. With the advent of PCS; however, the parents need not scare their kids anymore. They can rest assured that the PCS would take care of their young drivers on the road. Moreover, the PCS would also keep the parents informed about the driving behavior of the teen driver, and put up alerts if the young driver is about to cross (or has crossed) a pre-set boundary or speed limit.

Automotive camera modules are devices that are installed in the front, rear, and side of the automobiles to provide maximum information about the surroundings and help in preventing and minimizing the impact of accidents, in turn protecting both passengers and pedestrians. These camera modules warn the driver by providing a clear image of the rear and side blind zones, consequently improving the comfort of drivers by reducing their workload.

Several structural changes have affected the automotive industry since the past decade in the form of engine downsizing, electrification of automotive mechanism, emission regulations, connectivity, and safety. The industry is directly correlated with the economic and regulatory environment and consumer confidence.

Infotainment is an amalgamation of information and entertainment. In-car entertainment has evolved over the years. Conventional vehicle entertainment systems included radio, cassettes, and CDs. However, infotainment systems came into picture owing to the advances in technology and growing demand for personalized entertainment, navigation, and in-vehicle connectivity. Infotainment systems are a combination of software and hardware devices installed in automobiles that provide audio, video, and other contents. These systems are embedded with in-vehicle navigation devices, Internet and Wi-Fi-connectivity, AV systems, display screens, and telematics systems.