Worldwide Automotive: Inside The Gothenburg Automotive Industry

For years, Volvo and Gothenburg have been inseparable – when we speak of one, the other comes into mind naturally. However, the automotive industry at Gothenburg is not a one-man show. Gothenburg is home to many other companies in the supply chain too. In this article, we are going to look at three standouts: Smart Eye, Lynk+Co and CEVT.

Smart Eye

Smart Eye is a technology company of human insight AI whose expertise includes 

• head, eye and gaze tracking
• body pose tracking
• facial expression analysis (Emotion AI)
• object detection

By applying those technologies in the field of automotive, Smart Eye has developed products that could enhance transportation safety. It is not surprising that several major car brands have chosen to work with this Gothenburg-headquartered company including Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

The Driver Monitoring System from Smart Eye has been adopted by more than 90 car models. With in-car cameras and sensors, drivers’ behaviours are closely monitored. When drivers are distracted, dozing or in pain, artificial intelligence is able to detect those abnormal activities. This way the system protects not only the people in the cars but also fellow road users. Besides, an important advantage of the Driver Monitoring System is flexibility. It is compatible with all vehicles. Needless to say, there is great potential for Smart Eye as more and more countries are rolling out policies of monitoring system installation.

Lynk & Co

Founded in Gothenburg, Lynk & Co is just like the city – vibrant, innovative and green. It’s an automobile brand owned by Geely that is set upon disrupting the industry, in terms of both

• what cars are provided to people
• and how the cars are provided

Lynk & Co’s core car model belongs undoubtedly to 01, which comes with two options: 

• Plug-in hybrid
• Hybrid electric

Whilst Plug-in hybrid needs plug and charge, it is more powerful. Plug-in hybrid can be driven up to 80 kilometres without gasoline. Hybrid electric on the other hand does not have the range as long. However, regenerative braking is enough to sustain Hybrid electric, which means Hybrid electric can be recharged using the wasted energy when slowing down the car (how convenient!). Both models are modern and equipped with parking assistance, in-car system and an openable panoramic sunroof. Potential buyers can choose the one that suits their needs of range and charging habits.

If this sounds groundbreaking to you, here is more. Lynk & Co provides four different plans for people who would like to drive with them:

• Month-to-Month Membership
• Buy a car
• Membership (without a car)
• Business Membership

Purchasing a brand new car is not the only option at Lynk & Co. You can, for example, pay monthly to have a car at your service or pay only when you need to borrow a car. Either way, you are able to enjoy the driving pleasure but you do not have to deal with the hassle of car selling when you no longer need it.

CEVT

The acronym CEVT stands for China Euro Vehicle Technology AB (AB means limited company in Swedish). CEVT belongs to the Chinese group Zhejiang Geely but it is located in Gothenburg, one of the hearts of the automotive industry, which gives CEVT an advantage as it is in essence an innovation centre.

The mission of CEVT is to improve the technology of the automotive industry, creating the most cutting-edge solutions for today and tomorrow. Their areas of expertise include:

• software development
• modular development
• virtual engineering

CEVT is especially proud of its modular architecture. It is scalable and flexible, meeting the demands of different car brands, no matter what length or height is required or how complex the system is. Nevertheless, CEVT is aware that hardware is not everything in a car. Hence, they are dedicated to the development of software as well, which encompasses VR applications and UX design. They strive to give users the best in-car experience possible.  

From research & development to consumer car brands, the automotive industry at Gothenburg is thriving. It is exciting to see how these rising stars will shape the future of automotive together with the traditional carmakers, and how Gothenburg can push them forward along the way.