Shanghai Auto Show: slide forward with an innovative center console for automotive interiors
Image courtesy of Grammer AG
The Shanghai Auto Show this April promises to reveal the latest advances in the automotive industry, and with rumours that Grammer AG will be there, we take a look at the impact an innovative center console could have on the car interior of the future.
How important is a car’s center console? Whether as a car armrest for increased comfort, to hold a coffee cup, store your keys or charge your phone - this part of the car adds a lot to the driver's user-experience.
The 2019 North American International Auto Show revealed some exciting innovations in passenger vehicle interiors, including Grammer AG´s sliding center console, but what impact will these developments have on the passenger’s user-experience?
A flexible car interior
Parts of your vehicle interior which currently remain static, will soon be able to adjust to give passengers maximum comfort and accessibility. Movement solutions will allow future passengers to reconfigure their surroundings to suit their needs, all at a touch of a button or even instantaneously.
A car’s center console is at the heart of future design, creating an increasingly interactive and connected space. The center console will include more features and interactive displays, and its mobility will mean that everyone within the car will have access to these benefits.
A multifunctional center console
In a world where space is at a premium, the future center console will provide a much-needed area for added storage. Motorised linear slides will be able to smoothly open compartments or reconfigure the shape of the console to allow for more storage options. This secure storage also has added safety features, which will automatically stop the mechanism to prevent a child’s fingers becoming trapped.
The use of movement opens up new possibilities, Accuride’s wide range of steel and aluminium telescopic and ball bearing slides can provide you with the tools to accomplish this.
The passenger will be able to personalise the environment to them by sliding the seat cushion out, reclining their seat or resting their feet on a retractable footrest. The center console will also allow an added layer of comfort, with the passenger able to move the electrically driven car armrest into the perfect position or slide the console along for extra legroom or space for a bag.
Image courtesy of Grammer AG
Having provided movement hardware for many luxury car brands we are excited to see what the Shanghai Auto Show brings to the table in April 2021.
Accuride has an established history of providing durable motion hardware to the automotive industry, from producing the mechanism used in one of the first telescopic sliding car seat armrests to designing the sliding center console for a major European car manufacturer.
Are you an automotive supplier or OEM with a vision to incorporate more flexibility and motion into car interiors? Contact our dedicated Automotive Sales Manager Jochen Bendel to find out more.
