On-board networks play a key role in electric vehicles. However, the increase in electrification is leading to “cable clutter.” According to automotive engineers in Germany, digital systems will provide safety-critical functions in the future and usher in the era of autonomous driving.
A new R&D project called Next2OEM is tackling the challenges of mass-producing wiring harnesses. It aims to digitize the value chain to enable the reshoring of wiring harness manufacturing to Germany. The goal is to examine, digitalize and automate the entire value chain to eliminate the “clutter” of steps in the production process and streamline the responsibilities involved.