Vehicle now includes facial and iris identification through Forvia technology

In the bustling city of Shanghai, the automotive industry is abuzz with excitement as Auto Shanghai 2025 showcases the latest advancements in connected vehicles, driver assistance, and alternative drives. Three leading companies, Continental, Bosch, and ZF, are at the forefront of this revolution, presenting scalable architectures, intelligent sensor technology, and market-specific mobility solutions.

One of the key highlights is the integration of biometric identification into in-car systems. Continental, Bosch, and ZF have developed new technologies that enable facial and iris recognition capabilities within the vehicle. However, it's important to note that these innovations do not replace existing payment authorisation methods, such as using smartphones.

Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, has already implemented biometric identification in its Mercedes-Pay system. This system, integrated into the infotainment system, uses a fingerprint scanner for authorising payments.

Another interesting development comes from Forvia and Smarteye, who presented a biometric identification solution for in-car payment processes at the same event. This could potentially pave the way for settling fuel bills using biometric identification in the future.

The Volkswagen Group is also making strides in this area. They showcased their AI-supported advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) designed specifically for China's complex traffic conditions. Bosch is participating through partnerships and technology for assisted and automated driving, and scalable software systems. They emphasise centralised vehicle computers combining assistance and infotainment functions, with alliances in China such as WeRide and Horizon Robotics to address intelligent and connected vehicle systems.

Despite the exciting advancements, no specific information about the use of these new systems for software downloads from on-board app stores, or the market introduction date, has been provided. It seems that the future of in-car technology is promising, with driver identification becoming increasingly important for future payment processes.