As time progresses, you'll need to research new sub-component designs to remain relevant in the automotive industry. The game handles with a system called Design Skills.

As your company gets better at designing a component category, its design skill will increase. Each sub-component has an unlock year and a design skill requirement. When the year and your skills are greater than the requirements, the sub-component will unlock. The design skill requirements for sub-component decrease every year as the technology becomes more commonplace.