Demand for in-car connectivity to surge

David Leggett summarises areas where in-vehicle connectivity is predicted to take off within the next ten years

Research carried out by automotive industry website just-auto.com forecasts that global demand for vehicle connectivity will surge over the next ten years. As demand for connectivity in vehicles rises, the supply of connectivity hardware and services is becoming an area of increasing competition involving vehicle makers, mobile device producers, software developers and traditional automotive suppliers.
     
The report points out that addressing vehicle connectivity in new vehicles is a rapidly rising priority for vehicle manufacturers alongside the proliferation and integration of smart portable devices, applications software and embedded in-car mobility services.

Rapid technological change in the sector is also driving new supplier relationships as software developers and telematics service providers bypass the traditional ‘Tier 1’ automotive suppliers and go direct to the vehicle manufacturer. At the same time the vehicle manufacturers and their traditional Tier 1s are seeking partnerships and alliances that are changing the way systems are designed, developed and brought to market.
    
Vehicle manufacturers and their software developers are also forming working alliances with handset/smartphone suppliers and wireless carriers. In addition, telematics service suppliers are seeking to partner up with wire carriers and cloud service providers.

Embedded versus brought-in connectivity
The Connected Vehicle research study carried out by just-auto also highlights the battle in the sector between embedded or built-in connectivity and brought-in, mobile systems. The built-in option includes a SIM and built-in modem and the brought-in option can include either the SIM being brought-in and the modem being built in or both being brought-in to the vehicle (mobile phone). The advent of the smartphone has moved the goal posts again, the study says. The smartphone is rapidly displacing the traditional mobile telephone as a connectivity device as users demand access to the internet, social media and other applications available through brought-in devices but displayed and operated with in-car controls.
    
As the number and variety of apps demanded by the consumer increases, it will be necessary for the vehicle to communicate with any server on the internet. Looking even further ahead, this is where cloud computer services are likely to become more attractive particularly as driver requirements call for dynamic selection of the server in real-time based on the increasing number of apps available in the car.

Car sharing to rise
The just-auto study also suggests that in some parts of the world we are seeing the start of a significant shift away from traditional car ownership towards sharing of vehicles both for personal and business use, especially in urban areas. There also developments in apps and growing interest in low CO2 footprints (with associated incentives) that could encourage the trend towards car sharing and the modal mix for future transportation in urban areas. The migration of telematics technology into the commercial arena and the development of systems for use in the automotive industry means the operation of car sharing schemes has become much more efficient and commercially attractive, with new entrants becoming established in particular niches, sometimes with the direct support and involvement of vehicle manufacturers (Daimler’s car2go, for example).

Electric vehicles to get a telematics boost
Although electric vehicle sales have so far lagged behind targets, the study notes that developments in telematics should help to overcome some of the problems associated with ‘range anxiety’ – for example in directing a car to a nearby fast-charging station.

Currently most of the manufacturers of EVs are looking to use the cellular connection to offer information on recharging stations and to monitor the state of the battery charge when the vehicle is not in use. EVs are also well positioned, potentially, to take advantage of broader trends in car sharing in urban areas alongside increasingly tight restrictions on vehicle emissions in city centres.

The communication platform of the future: Car-to-X
Vehicle-to-vehicle (and vehicle-to-x) is another area of connectivity set for growth, according to the research. Vehicles will eventually be able to communicate with each other and also with infrastructure to achieve safety benefits and more efficient traffic flows (to reduce congestion and CO2 emissions). Car‑to-X communication opens up completely new potential.

For example, in the event of a hazard extensive connectivity between vehicles allows oncoming and following traffic to be given advance warnings of dangers and therefore to react appropriately. Vehicle makers and suppliers are already collaborating on standards for future shared systems, the study notes.

Further information
www.just-auto.com