2020 will be a watershed for the connected car industry, when almost half of vehicles on the roads, as well as 55 percent of new vehicles, will be connected, new research has claimed.
Advanced driver assistance systems (Adas) are the most desirable connected feature, according to a survey of drivers from IHS. However, consumers have said the systems should come prepackaged on the car, instead of as an optional, and paid for, extra. They likened the service to how pre-charged brakes and electronic stability control systems went from a special feature to standard on vehicles.
Almost three quarters (74 percent) of consumers with an infotainment system in their car are willing to pay for software upgrades that would add or improve functionality within their vehicle.
The survey found navigation was the most used type of smartphone app within cars, among 52 percent of respondents. Weather (41 percent) was next, followed by music and news (37 percent). Researchers expressed surprise at the lack of appetite for podcasts, despite their recent surge in popularity.
The survey also found almost one third of respondents would purchase a self-driving car. A quarter said they would be happy to ride in such a vehicle, but not purchase one.
However, autonomous vehicles appealed to millennials the most, with more than half willing to own one and almost 75 percent happy with artificial intelligence in control of a car they are travelling in.
IHS added: “Recent IHS Automotive forecasts indicate 21 million vehicles with some form of autonomy will be sold in 2035 – and with substantial growth between now and then, it’s possible millennials could make up a large share of the initial customer base for these advanced vehicles.”