BMW Boss: Big Screens To Be Replaced By Big HUDs

by Chris Teague

Published: January 6th, 2023

bmw boss big screens to be replaced by big huds

Automotive technology is developing at a dizzying pace, but that rapid progress has created quite a few side effects along the way. Take screens, for example. It’s illegal to even hold a cell phone while driving in many states, yet there’s a large screen on the dash of almost every new car today – sometimes more than one. BMW’s board chair has thoughts on the issue and believes we’ll see a big shift in how screens are used in the next few years.

Automotive News reports that at CES 2023, Oliver Zipse said, “In 10 years, that is gone. Probably the regulator will not allow it,” speaking of the touchscreens and displays in the center consoles of new cars. He also noted that distracted driving is a more significant source of accidents than speed.

BMW is working toward that vision and will roll out a new head-up display system in vehicles by 2025. The technology will expand the size of BMW’s HUD systems with more information and visuals that can be seen by everyone in the car.

A large display splattered across the windshield sounds slightly more distracting than a touchscreen in the center stack, but BMW is working toward a just-in-time display that shows information only when it’s needed. The company showed an early version of the system in its Dee concept car. The visuals accompanying the car show a display that stretches the width of the windshield but only at the bottom. The driver controls the system using a touch slider on the dash.

[Images: BMW]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

More by Chris Teague

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4 of 10 comments

ToolGuy on Jan 06, 2023

"Automotive technology is developing at a dizzying pace"
Is it? Or just starting to catch up with the rest of the world after decades of relative stagnation?

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- 95_SC on Jan 07, 2023
  
  When you are right, you are right
  
  Like
- Slavuta on Jan 07, 2023
  
  It is step forward and 1.5 back. As usual. Lets say we want to improve efficiency. Ok. The manufacturers spend time and money to pull that 1 mile extra per gallon. They make cars incredibly more expensive for that. And spend a lot of actual energy to produce the additional sophisticated engine components.
  Then, they go and put those cheap tires and brake rotors that last 30K miles. Now, you need to replace these and manufacturers need to spend additional energy and material to produce new, and recycle old. Because most economical way is when part lasts longer on the car.
  
  How do digital screens improve my life in the car? - they don't.
  
  1
Wheatridger on Jan 09, 2023

Rather this this, I'd rather have a car with just a speedo, gas gauge and some warning lights. My problem is I don't regard driving as a data-driven activity. I rarely need data, I just need to maintain my attention and situational awareness. The most important screen in my car is the one the Brits call "the windscreen."

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Recent Comments

ED I don't know what GM is thinking.I have a 2020 one nice vehicle.Got rid of Camaro and was going to buy one.Probably won't buy another GM product.Get rid of all the head honchos at GM.This company is a bunch of cheapskates building junk that no one wants.
Lostjr Sedans have been made less practical, with low rooflines and steeply raked A pillars. It makes them harder to get in and out of. Probably harder to put a kid in a child seat. Sedans used to be more family oriented.
Bob Funny how Oldsmobile was offering a GPS system to help if you were lost, yet GM as a company was very lost. Not really sure that they are not still lost. They make hideous looking trucks, Cadillac is a crappy Chevy pretending to be fancy. To be honest, I would never step in a GM show room now or ever. Boring, cheap ugly and bad resale why bother. I get enough of GM when i rent on trips from airports. I have to say, does anybody at GM ever drive what everyone else drives? Do they ever then look at what crap they put out in style fit and finish? Come on, for real, do they? Cadillac updated slogan should be " sub standard of the 3rd world", or " almost as good as Tata motors". Enough said.
Sam Jacobs I want a sedan. When a buy a car or even rent one, I don’t want to ride up high. I don’t want a 5-door. I want a trunk to keep my stuff out of sight. It’s quieter, cars handle better, I don’t need to be at the same height as a truck. I have a 2022 Subaru Legacy Touring XT, best car ever, equipped as a luxury sedan, so quick and quiet. I don’t understand automakers’ decisions to take away sedans or simply stop updating them — giving up the competition. The Camry and Accord should not be our only choices. Impala and Fusion were beautiful when they were axed.
Spamvw I think you need to remember WHY the big 2 and 1/2 got out of the car business. Without going political, the CAFE standards signed into law meant unless you had a higher gas mileage fleet, you couldn't meet the standards.The Irony is that, the law made sedans so small with low roof lines, that normal people migrated to SUV's and Trucks. Now we get worse mileage than before.