Drivers in emerging economies will fuel demand for next-generation in-car technologies and these largely untapped markets will provide the industry with a sustained revenue stream for years to come, a recent survey by Accenture revealed. Additionally, drivers in all markets were shown to be twice as likely to choose a car based on its connected vehicle technologies than on its performance
The survey questioned 14,000 drivers from Brazil, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States about their current use of in-car technologies and their expectations for future. Technologies covered by the survey included navigation and traffic detection systems, black boxes that monitor driving patterns to curb insurance premiums, safety services, and entertainment and learning tools and other passenger-related services, and a array of autonomous driving aids.
Motorists in Brazil, China, Indonesia, and Malaysia expressed the highest interest in currently available technologies, often already widely used in mature markets, indicating great potential for growth. Among respondents from emerging economies, Chinese drivers had the highest current use and the strongest desire for future adoption of in-car technologies, followed by Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Africa.
“Combined with the increased use of connected vehicle technologies and digital services among consumers in mature markets, the high demand across the emerging world will no doubt speed the development and influence the rollout of next-generation products and services by the global auto industry,” Luca Mentuccia, global managing director of Accenture’s Automotive practice, said.
When selecting a car, near 40% of motorists cited the vehicle’s technological services as their primary consideration, compared to just 14% who cited driving performance.
The research also found strong consumer interest in vehicle health report and vehicle lifecycle management services. Although only 12-13% percent of drivers currently use these services, nearly 40% expected to adopt them soon. Meanwhile, despite widespread concerns about the safety of driverless vehicles, 90 percent of respondents expressed interest in some autonomous driving options, particularly those related to safety. Popular features included lane changing and collision warning systems, lane keeping systems, and autonomic braking and parking.
“As drivers increase their demand for next-generation connected vehicle technologies across navigation, infotainment, safety, autonomous driving and mobile device integration, vehicle manufacturers face a challenge in being able to meet the complex integration requirements of a broad array of technologies in each range of vehicles. They must also look at maximizing sales by incorporating the right technologies into the appropriate vehicle range in each country,” Mentuccia said.
As the study shows, motorists in different countries have vastly different priorities for their onboard digital services. Indonesian drivers expressed widespread interest in real-time entertainment content like social media and gaming and productivity-enhancing tools like email and calendars, while drivers in the US and UK showed low interest in these add-ons. Italian drivers were most interest in a system that would enable passengers to stop a vehicle if the driver becomes ill or otherwise incapacitated. South Africa drivers, the current highest users of vehicle tracking devices, placed the highest priority on safety devices, including lane changing warning systems, automatic emergency calls after crashes, and fatigue and collision warning systems. Malaysian drivers would most like their technology to help them pinpoint and maneuver into parking spaces while South Korean drivers indicated some of highest interest in digital travel services, including systems providing live traffic updates and information about local amenities and points of interest.
