Chrysler’s design chief thinks technology will be a key sales driver in the future. Ralph Gilles, who is also CEO of Chrysler’s Dodge brand, says cars must adapt to evolving technology while retaining aesthetic and cosmetic appeal, and the ability to add more technology will be crucial to sales success.
“Technology is going to be the trump card — absolutely, without question … making the active interface the reason people buy a car in the future,” Gilles said in the keynote address at the AutoWeek Design Forum in January 2010.
Gilles said he expects car design to change in the next decade as designers adapt to hybrids and electric cars, and challenged the design community to “dig deep and really try to freak each other out a bit.”
