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The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation. Vehicles are increasingly becoming software-defined vehicles (SDVs), in which software plays a much larger role in determining functions, features and the user experience. Unlike traditional vehicles, whose functionality is largely fixed at the time of production, SDVs can continue to evolve throughout their life cycle.
A key principle is the stronger separation of hardware and software. This enables functions to be updated or added through software, including over-the-air (OTA) updates, and allows manufacturers to use computing resources more flexibly across the vehicle. SDV is therefore primarily a concept for vehicle software and electrical/electronic architecture – not a description of individual physical components.
At the same time, this architectural shift has practical consequences for the hardware around it. More centralized computing, more data and more sensor signals increase the requirements placed on electronics, thermal management and the physical systems that support them. This is where suppliers of thermal management and connection technologies can respond to changing vehicle requirements.
From distributed ECUs to centralized computing
For many years, vehicle electrical/electronic (E/E) architectures were highly distributed: individual functions were assigned to separate electronic control units (ECUs). Domain-based architectures then began to group related functions, helping manufacturers consolidate computing resources and organize systems more efficiently.
The next step is the transition toward more centralized and zone-based architectures. In these concepts, powerful central computers handle a growing share of data processing, while standardized zone controllers connect sensors, actuators and other devices located in different areas of the vehicle. This architecture is an important technological foundation for the software-defined vehicle.
As computing becomes more centralized, the role of the ECU also changes. Modern computing platforms no longer process only a limited number of simple signals. They combine data from many sources and make it available to different vehicle functions.
These data sources include temperature and pressure sensors as well as cameras, radar and lidar systems. Image processing and advanced driver assistance functions can generate particularly large data volumes. The result is a clear trend: processing power is increasing, and the number and variety of signals that can be processed in the vehicle are increasing as well.
Over-the-air updates are one of the most visible SDV features for vehicle users. They allow manufacturers to improve software functions or add new capabilities without requiring every change to be carried out in a workshop. Behind this user-facing benefit, however, lies a major change in vehicle architecture and computing infrastructure.
Centralizing functions in more powerful computing platforms also changes the thermal load inside the vehicle. High-performance computers, power electronics and electrified powertrains generate heat that has to be managed reliably. As a result, efficient cooling becomes an important supporting requirement for modern vehicle architectures.
Thermal management: a growing supporting system
Thermal management is not what defines a software-defined vehicle, but it is an increasingly important physical system that supports the electronics and electrified functions around it. Reliable temperature control helps protect performance, safety and service life in systems such as central computing units, power electronics and batteries.
NORMA Group supplies connection components, fluid systems and clamps for thermal management applications. Depending on the application, complete fluid systems can combine plastic lines, quick connectors and hose clamps to transport media such as coolant, air or oil. These solutions address the physical side of a vehicle architecture that is becoming more complex and more highly electrified.
NORMA Group fluid system for coolant
electric drive and power electronics. More thermal circuits can also mean more connection points in the vehicle. With a higher number of connections, reliable assembly and robust sealing become even more important because a poorly connected joint can affect the performance of the overall thermal management system.
Reliable connections and integrated sensing
One way physical components can evolve alongside these vehicle trends is by integrating additional sensing functions. For example, a quick connector with an integrated temperature sensor can combine the fluid connection with local temperature measurement. The sensor signal can then be processed by the vehicle electronics as part of the wider thermal management strategy.
NORMAQUICK® PS3 with temperature sensor
Another example is the use of RFID technology in quick connectors. RFID-enabled solutions can support assembly verification and help confirm that a connection has been made correctly. This can be particularly useful in complex thermal management systems with many connection points, where robust and reliable connections are essential.
NORMA Group VerifyLock
What the shift means for automotive suppliers
The transition to software-defined vehicles changes how vehicle functions are developed and how hardware and software are brought together. Vehicle manufacturers are centralizing E/E architectures, increasing computing capability and creating platforms that can support new functions over time. Speed, flexibility and the ability to react to changing requirements are becoming increasingly important.
For suppliers, this means that traditional mechanical and fluid-system expertise increasingly has to work alongside electronics and software requirements. Physical products do not become software-defined simply because they are used in an SDV. Instead, they need to fit reliably into a vehicle environment with more electronics, more sensing and more demanding thermal management.
A glance at the software-defined future
Software-defined vehicles are a long-term development path for the automotive industry. Cars are becoming more connected, more updateable and more dependent on centralized computing. At the same time, electrification and higher computing power are increasing the importance of the supporting physical systems that keep electronics and powertrain components within their required operating conditions.
For NORMA Group, the opportunity is not to define the software-defined vehicle itself, but to support these broader automotive trends with robust thermal management and connection solutions. As computing requirements continue to increase, electronic module cooling is expected to represent around 10-12% of total thermal management systems, creating a promising growth opportunity for NORMA Group’s quick connectors and system solutions. Integrated sensing and RFID-enabled quick connectors are examples of how the portfolio can respond to increasingly complex vehicle systems while remaining focused on reliable physical connections.
