Hendriks said the XiM21S will use virtually the same platform as the XiM21 that the supplier debuted last month, but the new concept has a different interior architecture.
“For example, there is no driver’s seat,” he said.
He said the goal to always have a clean interior is a result of workshops with new mobility companies.
“Ideally, they want these shared vehicles, especially when they are autonomous, to drive around 24 hours a day,” Hendriks said.
The idea is to have the system perform a 30-second sweep of the germ-killing light on high-touch areas to ensure vehicles such as robotaxis are clean for the next customer.
Hendriks said that Yanfeng already has an aftermarket version of the technology available in China, where it is “highly successful,” he added.
“China is an easier market to quickly put these new technologies on the market,” Hendriks said. “There is more scrutiny when it comes to safety and liability in North American and Europe, but we are looking at those markets as well.”
Yanfeng, based in Shanghai, ranks No. 19 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers with worldwide sales to automakers of $12.6 billion in 2019.
