Data is the fuel powering the future of green mobility. As vehicles continue to evolve into intelligent, autonomous machines, selecting the right energy-efficient data storage solutions will be paramount, writes Khalid Wani, Senior Director, Sales, India at Western Digital.
The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid advancements in automation, connectivity, and sustainability. Today’s vehicles are far removed from their analog predecessors, integrating cutting-edge sensors and applications that enhance safety, efficiency, and environmental impact. A key area of growth is advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which leverage real-time video analysis and AI-powered decision-making to enhance road safety while optimizing energy consumption. From adaptive lighting to automatic emergency braking, ADAS technologies are evolving into intelligent systems capable of making split-second decisions faster than human drivers. This evolution provides a glimpse into a future where vehicles become fully autonomous, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible.
Data: The Driving Force of Green Mobility
The proliferation of in-car applications has resulted in an unprecedented surge in data generation and consumption, but it is also paving the way for more sustainable vehicle operations. Research from Counterpointpredicts that by 2030, vehicle storage capacities will range between 2TB and 11TB, depending on the level of autonomy. A significant portion of this data is dedicated to safety, as AI-driven cameras and sensors track driver behavior, road conditions, and potential hazards while optimizing routes to reduce emissions and energy consumption.
Modern vehicles can monitor a driver’s eye movements to detect drowsiness or distraction, automatically triggering alerts or even notifying authorities when necessary. These AI-enabled cameras also enhance situational awareness by identifying objects on and around the road, further reinforcing safety mechanisms. However, for these AI systems to function accurately, they require extensive training on thousands of hours of video and sensor data. This dual requirement—storing and processing vast amounts of data—must be addressed with energy-efficient and sustainable data storage solutions to minimize environmental impact.
Meeting the Diverse Storage Demands of Eco-Friendly Autonomous Vehicles
Achieving real-time decision-making in autonomous vehicles necessitates a sophisticated and sustainable storage infrastructure. The ‘brain’ of an autonomous vehicle must handle diverse data inputs from multiple sensors, necessitating robust processing capabilities and high-speed retrieval mechanisms with minimal energy consumption.
According to Counterpoint Research, Level 3 to Level 5 autonomous vehicles will increasingly rely on UFS embedded flash storage to meet the speed and performance requirements essential for data management while consuming less power. Autonomous systems will also require a hybrid approach—combining cloud-based solutions with local or edge storage—to ensure seamless, low-latency data transfer, retrieval, and processing with reduced carbon footprints.
For edge storage, selecting the right solution is critical. Western Digital offers a range of automotive-grade storage solutions, including SD cards, e.MMC, iNAND® UFS, and Industrial NVMe™ SSDs, all designed with energy efficiency in mind. These storage devices are engineered for high endurance, reliability, extended temperature resistance, and longevity, making them ideal for industrial applications while minimizing electronic waste.
Furthermore, Western Digital’s iNAND AT EU552 UFS 3.1 embedded flash drive stands out as one of the first data storage solutions to achieve ASPICE CL3 (Automotive SPICE Capability Level 3). This certification signifies a transition from the ‘Managed’ CL2 tier to the more mature ‘Established’ CL3, demonstrating a high level of process standardization and active management while maintaining a commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.
The Future Runs on Green Data
Tomorrow’s vehicles will be more than just electric or hybrid—they will be hyper-connected, data-driven, and environmentally responsible. According to Counterpoint Research2, global connected car sales will exceed 500 million between 2024 and 2030, with nearly two-thirds of all cars sold today already featuring embedded connectivity. By the end of the decade, 100% of vehicles are expected to be connected, further enhancing efficiencies in energy use and reducing emissions.
This shift underscores a simple truth: data is the fuel powering the future of green mobility. As vehicles continue to evolve into intelligent, autonomous machines, selecting the right energy-efficient data storage solutions will be paramount. Whether it’s enabling real-time decision-making, training AI models, or ensuring the longevity of mission-critical systems, sustainable data storage will be at the heart of the automotive revolution.