Change in Vehicle Reliability with Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract

Chris and Fred discuss what likely autonomous vehicle (AV) operations mean to the ‘reliability industry’ given that these vehicles will have completely different operating profiles with perhaps surprising results.

Key Points

Join Chris and Fred as they discuss what reliability means for future AVs. For example, AVs have the potential to be driving most of the time (as opposed to current personal motor vehicles that are only driven for at most around 2 hours per day). This means that instead of spending most of their time not being driven (and perhaps in a garage), they will be more often than not driving in what could be harsh operational conditions. What does this mean?

Topics include:

how it will be likely that regardless of strong, longstanding and potentially valid ideas about vehicle reliability, we will need a novel approach to the reliability of AVs;
if each AV is driving ‘millions’ of miles each year, does this mean that they will only have a short lifespan of a perhaps a couple of years before they need to be replaced (and does this align with current consumer trends that see high technological refresh rates … as in smartphones … being replaced as something new and better comes out); and
what AV manufacturers can do in terms of smart(er) technology that includes sensors and wireless communications to optimize maintenance (and by extension reliability).

Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques, to field data analysis approaches.