Skip to main content

The trend in digital instrument displays

Innovative instrument clusters and head-up displays are becoming increasingly popular amongst OEMs and customers alike, according to IMS Research’s new automotive study, “The World Market for Automotive OEM Electronic Systems – 2011 Edition.”
March 23, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Innovative instrument clusters and head-up displays are becoming increasingly popular amongst OEMs and customers alike, according to 591 IMS Research’s new automotive study, “The World Market for Automotive OEM Electronic Systems – 2011 Edition.”

By 2018, it is forecast that almost seven million cars will have purely digital instrument clusters and over 3.5 million cars will have a head-up display, with combined revenues reaching US$2.5 billion. Although purely digital instrument clusters are becoming more popular, hybrid instrument clusters currently make up 90% of the market.

“OEMs are slowly moving towards purely digital instrument clusters for a few reasons” explains IMS Research automotive market analyst, Ben Scott. “With most OEMs releasing an HEV/EV in the near future, a reconfigurable digital instrument is very appealing. Information on battery charge, distance until next charge, and other driver information can easily be displayed.”

Another driving force is consumer trends. Smartphone and tablet PC ownership is increasing and there is the opportunity to integrate these devices to drive configurable instrument clusters. In a recent IMS Research consumer survey, ‘Connected Head Units – Consumer Survey – 2011 Edition’, it was found that the majority of respondents would prefer to use their smartphone as the HMI for infotainment.  However, for both instrumentation and infotainment there will be definite safety implications involved and serious consideration should be given as to how these devices will display information.

Head-up displays (HUDs) have, for a long time, been associated with the premium end of the car market, but this could change. “We should see HUDs penetrating the middle car segment market in the near future”, Scott adds. HUDs are becoming less expensive, partly because of new head-up display technology entering the market from companies like 4276 Nippon Seiki and 764 Johnson Controls.

Johnson Contols is offering a ‘combiner head-up display’ which projects information on to a fully integrated transparent screen in the driver’s field of vision. “This approach to the HUD is both cost effective and will help bring this technology to the volume car segments,” said Scott.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • NXP maintains pole position within the ticketing market
    August 14, 2012
    Despite competition clearly increasing within the contactless ticketing market, NXP maintains a dominant foothold, through its line of MiFare solutions, according to ABI Research which says the company achieved a combined market share in excess of 70 per cent for 2011 smart card and RFID ticketing IC shipments. The OSPT continues its quest in penetrating the market with CiPurse product and has certainly had a successful 2012, completing pilots and trials worldwide, leading to two on-going commercial deploym
  • Adoption of ITS fuelled by need to tackle traffic issues, says research
    October 19, 2016
    The revenue of the global intelligent transportation systems market stood at US$20.22 billion in 2015 and the market is expected to reach US$57.44 billion by the end of the forecast period, developing at a CAGR of 12.7 per cent during the forecast period, according to research by Transparency Research (TMR). According to the report, Intelligent Transportation System Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016-2024, on the basis of type, advanced transportation managem
  • Report forecasts growth in global markets for intelligent transportation systems
    November 1, 2012
    A new report by information service provider Global Information says that intelligent transportation systems (ITS) improve public transport and traffic management to reduce traffic congestion, promote smoother and safer driving and improve coordinate and overall smarter use of transport networks. The development of intelligent infrastructures – from roads to bridges – is primarily a governmental responsibility while the domain of developing intelligent vehicles belongs to the commercial side. Both private a
  • Flowbird digital parking options for Pennsylvania borough
    February 14, 2024
    Carlisle residents can access mobile payment app, pay-by-text and extend-by-text