There has been lots of interesting press about the increased technological presence in the current & next generation vehicles.  While all of this new technology is wonderful, there is a bit of an undertone of concern in some of the material.  Rightly or wrongly, there is a growing concern over potential technological exposure in the newer vehicles.  Instead of normal performance issues associated with traditional mechanical vehicle components, such as design & mechanical issues (which the industry has generally long since dealt with), these new technologies expose the consumer to digital perils, similar to those with computers & smart phones.  The increased software and technology dependency in new vehicles is in turn supported by a raft of new technologies, some of which is well established and somewhat secure, other that is bleeding edge and potentially exposed to malicious intent.

 As a result of this potential exposure, it is possible that the OEM's and Tier 1's could ask for performance guarantees on sales of this new technology to help mitigate their own downstream financial risk; while not common anymore for traditional parts manufacturers, such financial security is still rather common in the technology industry.  If you are a manufacturer of this type of technology and such a request is ever made of you - don't hesitate to contact EDC, as we have ways of helping with the associated financial burden.

Disclaimer:

The views expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily of Export Development Canada

Les vues exprimées dans ce propos sont celles de l'auteur. Elles ne reflètent pas nécessairement le point de vue d'EDC.