Today’s consumers appreciate always-on connectivity when they are on the move, and that’s illustrated by a new study which shows that a majority of car buyers are now interested in connected features in a new car.
According to research from AT&T Drive Studio and Ericsson, almost three in four consumers around the world consider connected car services an important feature in their next car purchase. And nearly 80% of car buyers would delay a new car purchase by one year to buy a vehicle with connected car services from their preferred brand.
Orvar Hurtig, vice president of Ericsson Global Services and head of Industry and Society at Ericsson, said: “For the second year in a row, we are witnessing a growing trend where consumers in different parts of the world are not only increasingly aware of the term connected car, but they are placing greater importance on connected car features and services.
“In addition to safety and infotainment features enabled by connectivity, automakers can also use the connectivity for over-the-air software updates and advanced downloadable engine configurations. For the consumer, this means that connected car services will open up the ability to add new capabilities to their car and enhance their driving experience for years after they purchase a connected car.”
For the purposes of the study, a connected car is defined as one equipped with a wireless internet connection. This allows the car to run apps such as streaming music services and internet radio, and use navigation services with real-time traffic updates, all from the car’s dashboard. In-car connectivity also allows the vehicle to operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot.
In fact, the Wi-Fi hotspot element is the most sought-after feature in a new connected car, the survey showed.
“This study confirms that drivers today are tech savvy and value services that improve their driving experience,” commented Chris Penrose, senior vice president for the Internet of Things at AT&T Mobility.
“It’s great to see that more drivers understand what a connected car enables them to do. With this increased awareness, we believe you’ll see adoption of integrated wireless connectivity in the car continue to take off.”
A recent study by Strategy& predicts that the global market for connected car technologies will grow by 204% over the next six years, from €40.3 billion (£29.6 billion) in 2016 to €122.6 billion (£90.1 billion) in 2021.
