EDITORIAL: There is no substitute for ‘Automotive Grade’

When you get in a vehicle and push the ‘start’ button, you're betting that the machine will get you to your destination safely and reliably, regardless of the driving conditions. Lives are at stake the moment you lift off the brake pedal.

A high level of reliability and a supremely robust useful life are what separate Automotive Grade products from mere consumer-grade stuff. The old “10 years and 100,000 miles” design bogey long used in vehicle development is now 15 years and 150,000 miles, and it's become the design-life baseline for everything from camshafts to cameras. Engineering new electrical, electronic, and mechanical components and systems to automotive-level thermal extremes (−40C to 125C) is second only to meeting military-grade (−55C to 125C) spec.