Consumers have developed an expectation that their mobile devices will integrate seamlessly into a new car as part of their digital lifestyle. As such, cars are becoming ever more connected with each generation to facilitate these needs.
Speaking during a webinar on the subject, Franz Walkembach, Senior Manager, Product Management at Wind River, discussed how the car fits into an Internet of many things. “Consumers buy cars and expect their mobile devices to run seamlessly,” he said. “If OEMs cannot support a major selling mobile device, this will result in less sales of a car.” Put simply, a US$500 device could potentially be the reason for missing a US$50,000 car sale.
“OEMs need to support all of these technologies worldwide: Google’s automotive app is not active in China, Apple’s CarPlay runs with a SIRI interface, but SIRI does not support all languages worldwide, and MirrorLink does not work in every country, even though cars are sold worldwide,” Walkembach explained.
By 2020, 75% of the world’s cars will be connected to the Internet, and according to Wind River, the ‘Internet of Cars’ – a subcategory within the Internet of Things (IoT) – will generate revenue of around US$2.94bn.
New players at the table
Akin to the butterfly effect, as cars become increasingly complex, more stakeholders are affected and drawn into the connected sphere. “Those affected now involve the automotive industry, academia, technology companies, governments, consortia and the end-consumer,” Walkembach observed. In addition, other companies that typically may not have been associated with automotive are investigating the viability of launching their own cars. This all points to a key factor: more technology is becoming available, which needs to interact seamlessly cross-platform. Is this growing complexity hindering the development of connected cars and autonomous vehicles?
“It’s not hindering it,” said Walkembach, “It’s just something the industry needs to cope with. This is not new. Every time new technology comes into the market, legislation changes, and some countries are more advanced than others. I see it as a normal process. It may be hindering development from a process perspective, but it is nothing new from a technology perspective,” he affirmed.
It is important to remember that the automotive industry also consists of commercial vehicles (CVs) transporting goods cross-country. Where do these heavy trucks fit into the Internet of Cars? “CVs are a good example of how connectivity has changed things, because the tracking of CVs has been around for more than ten years. What has changed is the level of technology and the possibilities available from such systems in the market,” said Walkembach.
He suggested that an OEM’s future development strategy for a new car will revolve around a higher demand for interoperability and the need to integrate new technology within the car faster. “The car’s in-vehicle network is traditionally viewed as being closed and methodical. With connectivity to the cloud, it becomes open and dynamic, and extra vehicle networks have to be integrated and adapted into the car.”
Is the IoT a separate concept to the Internet of Cars, or do the two share similarities? “I see them combined,” said Walkembach. “From this perspective, we look at the car as being just another ‘thing’ in the IoT. Of course there are different requirements and use cases for the car, but the bottom line? We need to find ways to connect to the IoT in order to profit from the trends of the future,” he concluded.
Freddie Holmes
