October 27–29, 2026
Vibe Credit Union Showplace, Novi, Michigan, USA

Automotive Design and Interiors Content Program 2026

Automotive Design and Interiors Themes 

Exteriors

Meeting end-to-end consumer expectation — what’s winning? 

Sub-topics 

  • Lighting & Windshields 

  • Aerodynamics & brand identity  

  • Materials 

  • Frunk Design and trends 

Interior UX Engineering

From phones to climate controls: providing safe user engagement.

Sub-topics 

  • HMI at the steering wheel 

  • Analog in the digital age 

  • Seating design 

  • Digital cockpit engineering 

Standards, Regulation & System-Level Interoperability

Navigating best practices, aligning the interior ecosystem, enabling safe intelligent vehicles.

Sub-topics 

  • Global regulatory updates  

  • Harmonizing standards 

Why these topics are being addressed

Why these topics are being addressed

 

Vehicle Design and Interiors Conference focuses on two critical pillars that reflect where the industry is moving: 

Designing for multiple powertrains/powertrain  
Vehicle architectures are shifting rapidly based upon consumer expectations towards compute-heavy SDV platforms and powertrains.  OEMs need multifaceted design approaches for EV, Hybrids and ICE. 

Safe HMI Deployment
OEMs are under pressure to create highly specialized cockpit experiences while limiting distracted driving.  The industry needs real-world insights on best practices and applications that meet public trust. 

Vehicle Design & Cabin Track

Vehicle Design & Cabin Track

As vehicles evolve into autonomous-ready experience hubs, cabin and exterior design now sit at the intersection of software, sustainability, and intelligence.

This track explores:

  • Software-defined smart cockpits
  • Interior UX, wellness, and AI integration
  • Digital lighting and V2X communication
  • Sustainable materials and advanced design tools

Designers benefit from direct exposure to validation, intelligence, and propulsion considerations that shape production reality.

Experience. Intelligence. Validation. Powertrain. Under One Roof.


Vehicle Technology Week (VTW) brings together the full lifecycle of modern vehicle development as the industry undergoes its architectural transformation toward software-defined, intelligent, and electrified platforms.

VTW unifies four strategic conference tracks – Vehicle Design & Cabin, Intelligent Vehicle, Vehicle Testing, and Advanced Chassis & Powertrain – into a single, integrated content program designed for engineers, technologists, and decision-makers shaping the road to 2030.