E-Motions Creator: Sjoerd Knipping

Mr Knipping, who are you and what drives you every day?

I was born in the Netherlands and have spent my entire working life in the automotive industry; I’m a real car enthusiast through and through. I see myself as a product person. In my private life, I’m the proud father of three teenage daughters. Essentially, two things motivate me every day: watching my daughters grow up and helping young people find a successful path into the automotive industry.

Where does this passion come from? From motor racing?

Not at all. It began when I was two or three years old, in the back seat of my parents’ car. My grandfather taught me all the makes; by the age of three, I could recognise them all by their logos. That sparked my interest. Whilst at university, it was clear to me that I wanted to work in the automotive industry. Back then, there were basically two options in Europe: Germany or France. I grew up in the Netherlands near the German border, so I chose Germany. I spent part of my degree there and then went straight into the industry.

You describe yourself as a ‘product person’, not an engineer. What exactly fascinates you about cars?

First things first: the design. For me, it’s simple: a model either appeals to you or it doesn’t, and tastes vary enormously. Next come the product features, which depend heavily on the intended use. Someone looking for a sports car will come to a different conclusion than someone who needs a practical vehicle to get from A to B.

If you follow debates on trends and current developments in the fields of product design and media, you’ll come across the term ‘low fidelity’ time and again. The scratch on an LP conveys an emotion, a human touch. How does the automotive industry approach this concept?

It depends a little on the definition, but it actually begins in the early design phase, whilst the vehicle is still at the concept car stage. A concept car may appear perfect. However, as soon as the decision is made to turn it into something ready for series production and road-worthy, prototypes and internal review processes follow, step by step. At some point, customer feedback is also incorporated, which shows how closely a solution actually aligns with what customers are looking for. This ultimately leads to the finalisation of a vehicle’s product characteristics, so that what eventually reaches the market is in keeping with the brand and the product. A vehicle is then further developed throughout its entire life cycle. In the past, before digitalisation, this product enhancement usually took place midway through the life cycle – after two and a half to three and a half years – when insights into weaknesses or changing requirements were incorporated. Today, this happens much faster via over-the-air updates. If, twelve months after the market launch, we realise that a feature would be relevant, we simply submit it.

Designers often talk about ‘happy accidents’ in the process – unplanned but effective solutions. Do you ever experience this too, for example with a facelift?

I’d call it refining based on insights rather than a coincidence. It’s about deliberately refining something; it’s not about hoping for chance.

In theory, a car can be developed to perfection; in practice, deadlines and budgets dictate compromises. Where are you prepared to compromise, and where not?

When it comes to everything that ensures a vehicle gets you from A to B safely, reliably and to a high standard, there can be no compromise – that is absolutely clear to me. Beyond that, it’s worth questioning established solutions. Can something be made simpler, more intuitive, more useful? One example I’ve already mentioned comes directly from our customers: we’ve found that they still prefer physical buttons on the steering wheel and in the infotainment system, rather than relying entirely on touchscreens. It is precisely in this area – customer satisfaction – that we still have room to manoeuvre.

What is your focus for the next steps?

We are in the midst of a transition from traditional internal combustion engines, via hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology, to electric cars. The question is: how do we simplify and improve the EV experience for customers? At the start of this development, range anxiety was the biggest obstacle. We’ve now moved on several steps, from derivative electric vehicles to fully dedicated platforms. For customers who are already buying their second electric car, range anxiety has been overcome. Now it’s all about charging. Is the charging speed right? Is the appropriate infrastructure in place? We can address some of this through product development itself, but the entire industry must create the conditions that give people the confidence to make the switch – including charging infrastructure. There is also a second point: an electric car virtually always delivers instant power delivery, which makes it harder to stand out emotionally and in terms of performance compared with the traditional internal combustion engine, where a larger turbocharger or more cylinders signified greater power. That is why we are working to enhance the emotional driving experience, for example with the GT variants of the EV3, EV4 and EV5.

With virtual gear changes and virtual sound design?

Exactly, those are elements of it. And we’re proud to have been early adopters in the transition to electric mobility, with the EV6 and EV9 leading the way on our own platform. That was the first phase. Now it’s about carrying this lead into the mainstream segment, beyond the upper classes.

We’re here in Norway on one of Europe’s most legendary roads. What does a journey like this mean to you?

The challenge was to launch three completely different GT models simultaneously – a hatchback, an SUV and a crossover in different segments – whilst bringing out their individual characteristics. We were looking for a unique location that would make this experience possible whilst being enhanced by the landscape – just as special as the three cars themselves. We set out a route, but ultimately it’s up to the guests to decide whether to follow it or turn right and go their own way.

Are the younger ones interested in the car business?

The youngest asks me what she needs to do to get my job. She obviously sees me as a sort of role model. The middle one is very interested in cars. My eldest is currently choosing her subjects for her final year, so she’s focused on other decisions at the moment. Sometimes the three of them give me the most honest feedback of all. I show them early designs, and if they just ask, ‘When’s this coming out?’, I know it works. But there are other reactions too (laughs).

So design drives you everywhere, even beyond the automotive world. Furniture, architecture?

Architecture can really captivate me, from the bridge here locally to the typical Norwegian houses that caught my eye on my very first day. The same goes for a skyscraper. If I hadn’t gone into the automotive industry, I’d probably have become an architect – it’s just that I wasn’t good enough at science for that.