One cannot escape the high decibel campaign by almost all global auto OEMs underscoring the growing importance of ‘automotive electronics’ in creating and sustaining a competitive advantage in the hypercompetitive auto market. More recently the proliferation of smart devices with the ability to deliver superior user experience, prevalence of high speed data networks, and demands for enhanced passenger safety and infotainment have spurred the emergence of what is commonly known as connected car concept. This blog in three parts will examine (a) The advent and evolution of connected car concept, (b) the consumer experiences that connected car technologies intend to drive, and (c) the evolving ecosystem that is driving the proliferation and adoption of connected car concept. In the first installment, I will be writing about what really a connected car is and what are the factors driving its evolution.

The gadget savvy consumers of today expect ubiquitous connectivity, anytime-anywhere access to content and personalized experience in every aspect of their life. The time spent while driving their cars is no exception, making it imperative that a similar digitally connected experience be available even when on move. This along with advances in various technologies has led to the emergence of what we know today as “connected car” concept.

So what really is a connected car? Simply put, a connected car is a vehicle that allows its users to stay connected to (i) smart devices (phones, tabs, wearables), (ii) other vehicles, (iii) roadside infrastructure (traffic signals, toll plazas) and (iv) the internet at large. It is achieved through an interplay of various connectivity technologies such as Near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth low energy (BLE), USB, WiFi, dedicated short range connectivity (DSRC 802.11p) and cellular technologies such as 3G, 4G/LTE etc. Implementations of these technologies generate an “always connected & connected to all” scenario that manifests in enhanced consumer experience through improved productivity, convenience, and safety and security. What this means for you as the end consumer is that you can access variety of information from your environment and share your own data for enabling use cases that not just auto industry players but players from other industries would also be interested in harnessing.

The ultimate epiphany of connected car concept will be an autonomous/self-driving car. But, let’s face it, you can’t get your hands on it for a while. However, until that becomes a reality, there are lots of interesting use cases that are being driven by connected car technologies. What are these? I will cover them in the next part of this blog. Stay tuned..

The second part of this blog will cover the use cases that connected car technologies are driving.

Authored by Sushmita Sharma