Automakers Do More With Less: Mechatronics Will Affect How Future Cars Are Built
Ten years from now, cars probably won't look much different than today--on the outside. But, they'll be completely different on the inside.
According to Philipp Radtke, a principal in the Munich office of McKinsey & Co. (New York), electronics will no longer be a discrete component of automotive production. Instead, it will be integrated into the overall construction of the car. "Mechanical connections that have been the basis of cars since they were first introduced will be replaced by electronic connections," says Radtke. For example, the traditional steering column will be replaced by a system that sends electronic signals to each wheel to control the steering.