CES 2020, LAS VEGAS – JANUARY 6, 2020 – Harman International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, today announced its EV Plus+ Solutions, a new audio and communications solutions bundle designed specifically for the fast growing electric vehicle (EV) segment and their eco-conscious owners. The solutions overcome challenges unique to EVs and offer consumers a no-compromise level of entertainment, communication and comfort, flexibly and sustainably.
As the automotive industry enters its greatest period of change in decades, the future of mobility requires technologies that wholly address consumer needs while also prioritizing thoughtful innovation. One significant driver of this change is the shift to electric powertrains as a response to climate change concerns. By 2040, Bloomberg NEF expects over half of all global vehicle sales and over a third of vehicle fleets to be electric.
However, range anxiety continues to be a barrier for electric vehicle adoption, with vehicle charging as one of the main concerns for 83 percent of non-EV owners, according to Cox Automotive. Such concerns have made the inclusion of popular in-car features that require a power draw, including premium audio and entertainment, especially challenging when engineering for an electric vehicle environment. Leveraging efficient acoustic technologies and cloud-based software innovation, EV Plus+ Solutions solves for those challenges with a scalable, low weight, and reduced complexity system architecture that provides double the acoustic power and performance without impacting range when compared to a traditional audio system with comparable performance.
As growth in the EV market continues to accelerate, so does consumer demand for premium, personalized in-cabin experiences from their vehicles. With such a focus on efficiency, EVs often cannot offer the same level of premium in-cabin features available in traditional vehicles. Consumers looking to extend their green lifestyle to their choice of vehicle have to choose between the experiences they want and the eco-consciousness they want to reflect. EV Plus+ Solutions is the first-ever approach that delivers branded audio and personalized experiences on demand in a fully sustainably way designed expressly for electric vehicles.
“At HARMAN, we believe the next-generation of mobility should convert the time you spend in your car into time well spent – and electric vehicles are no exception,” said Bill Wyman, VP of Global Marketing, Lifestyle Automotive. “Environmental concerns are guiding purchase decisions more and more, but the demand for premium experiences hasn’t changed. Through the groundbreaking delivery system of Ecotect that underpins EV Plus+ Solutions, we’re enabling automakers to fulfill these needs for their customers, without compromises, for the very first time.”
Integral to EV Plus+ Solutions are three new HARMAN offerings that work together, enabling an uncompromised, premium EV experience:
Through Audio Marketplace, consumers can instantly personalize their in-car offerings to fit their preferences, mood and lifestyle, with experiences including:
HARMAN’s commitment to reinforcing environmental safety and sustainable lifestyle choices with the new EV Plus+ Solutions extends to the supply chain. In building its audio systems, HARMAN differentiates from competitors and exceeds safety standards by opting for conflict-free materials that do not release harmful compounds into the environment.
HARMAN’s EV Plus+ Solutions are available to OEMs today for in-vehicle integration. EV Plus+ Solutions will be demonstrated at the HARMAN Showcase at CES 2020.
HARMAN at CES
Visit the HARMAN showcase during CES 2020 for demonstrations of the company’s full portfolio of connected car and lifestyle audio systems enabling a connected life. The HARMAN experience showcase is located at the Hard Rock Hotel. Follow HARMAN online during CES 2020:
About HARMAN
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
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For more information contact:
Dawn Geary
Sr. Manager, Global Marketing Communications & PR, Car Audio
HARMAN
dawn.geary@harman.com