Status of automotive electronics in the USA

A general overview is provided of the rationale for and the ongoing expansion of electronics in U.S. cars and trucks. Specific applications of electronic controls to the powertrain and to the overall vehicle, plus the increasing usage of digital electronics in instrumentation, entertainment, and communications are reviewed. Status of previously identified concerns relative to cost, especially that of sensors and actuators, and system quality and reliability are covered. Other major issues concerning diagnostics and self-diagnostics, software proliferation, electromagnetic interference and central versus distributed processing are also identified and discussed. A status overview - where are we and where are we going from here? - suggests that the pioneering phase of automotive electronics is currently giving way to a consolidation phase in the U.S. A short review of past predictions versus accomplishments plus several revised predictions are included. Although the 10% electronics content in U.S. vehicles by 1980 has not yet materialized, a steady growth is evident and is expected to continue at least into the mid-1980´s.