Consumers love their pickup trucks and they should expect the same capabilities regardless of whether their trucks run on gasoline, battery or hybrid powertrains.

To accomplish that, global auto supplier Bosch demonstrated a slew of technologies Tuesday, the head of its North American business says would create the “truck of the future.”

“The truck of the future isn’t only defined by what’s under the hood, it’s defined by how you interact with the vehicle and how the vehicle interacts with the market that it operates in. It’s made possible by not only the powertrain or the propulsion, but by the software and the sensors that are included in the vehicle and the way they interact with the vehicle itself and with the environment that it operates in,” said, during a technology showcase for members of the Automotive Press Association at the company’s Flat Rock, Michigan proving grounds.

While the debate roils between advocates of internal combustion engine vehicles, electric vehicles and hybrids, Thomas declared there’s no single winning powetrain, requiring technology traveling down what he termed a “multi-lane highway” in order to satisfy consumer preferences regardless of what moves the vehicle.

As examples, Thomas pointed out Bosch research discovered truck buyers demand at least 8,000 pounds of towing capacity, even if they intend to rarely use that capability. They also expect their trucks to be multi-purpose devices that could power tools on a job site, electric generators or their homes during power outages.

Consumers also demand the ability to personalize their vehicles, including interactive features, he said.

With all that in mind, and more, reporters were given the opportunity to learn about, and, in some cases, get behind the wheel to experience new Bosch technologies aimed at creating the truck of the future.

I had the opportunity to test, first-hand, the capabilities of two systems designed provide control of the vehicle in different ways.

The first had me crawling over a treacherous rock pile at about 2 miles an hour. Most off-roaders would do this by keeping one foot on each pedal, holding down the brake while slowly accelerating.

But Bosch has adopted the one-pedal operation found on most EVs by optimizing traction control and ABS braking so the off-road driver need only let up on the accelerator to control speed. The result was a more controlled ride with less bumping and rocking over the course.

The second involved gunning the engine through a curvy, muddy course challenging the Bosch steer-by-wire system and associated electronics to maintain control of the vehicle, which it did, even rounding corners at 30-40 miles per hour.

To help prevent hydroplaning on wet surfaces, Bosch’s Ultrasonic Gen 7 wet road detection system uses 12 ultrasonic sensors at speeds faster than 25 miles per hour.

The system detects the wetness of the road, the slipperiness, and millimeter thickness of the road, sending that information to vehicle safety systems.

Wet detection technology is not new, but it doesn’t use ultrasonic sensors.

“There are other OEMs that have this feature, but they use an external sensor that causes additional costs to the vehicle to actually do this feature,” pointed out Ton Binh

ADAS systems architect. “But we’re able to do this with an existing sensor set that we have for ultrasonics, your traditional sensors used for parking, we’re able to now do this wet road detection without any additional cost of the vehicle, without any additional sensors or hardware needed for them.”

Among the other Bosch technologies aimed at paving the multi-lane highway included:

  • eAxle systems: packages the e-motor, compact inverter, and gearbox into a single, ultra-compact design, described by Thomas as “with extremely high, power density, and it’s able to tow, under load, at a meaningful lower cost.”
  • AI cockpit of the future: enables the next generation of user-centric vehicle functions and highly personalized in-cabin experiences by coordinating contextual awareness and scalable automotive computing.
  • Vehicle Motion Management software combined with FOX semi-active suspension technology: coordinates chassis actuators in real time to show off-road performance of software-defined mobility. Bosch says the result is a vehicle that “can balance off-road capability, comfort and stability by continuously adapting suspension behavior to terrain and driver inputs.”

Indeed, software plays a major role in Bosch’s efforts to create the truck of the future with Thomas declaring, “Software is where the hyperpersonalization starts to happen.”

With that in mind, through a funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bosch is investing about $2 billion to transform its Roseville, California facility to produce advanced silicon carbide.

Production of sample chips is underway, with the expectation the company will soon produce its first commercial chips based on its SiC Bosch technology, Thomas said.

Overall Bosch is investing $7.5 billion over the next five years across its North American operations, according to Thomas.

The aim is to create the technologies that will add up to the truck of the future and the multi-lane highway on which their development would travel.

As Thomas declared, “The result is that consumers get the capability, range and affordability they’re asking for without automakers having to reinvent the vehicle for every option.”