Connectivity benefits hinge on volume uptake

The success of connected vehicle technology is largely contingent upon widescale adoption, and the chicken and egg debate continues to threaten uptake. While many vehicle manufacturers and suppliers are investing in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) systems, the full benefits are only available with a widespread - some say universal - uptake.

"Our philosophy on autonomous vehicles is that we need the majority of the fleet to be communicating to rely on it," Ford's Chief Technology Officer Raj Nair told analysts at the OEM's recent Investor Day event. "Even a small percentage of the fleet not tied to the network will be a problem."