Mobile Communication And Transportation: Could Your Car Go Wireless?
The ultimate mobile internet.
When Ford attended this year’s Mobile World Congress, they announced an intention to move away from being an automotive company to become an auto and mobility brand. Ford’s declaration provided the most tangible evidence to date of the automotive sector’s belated enthusiasm for mobile technology. Until a few years ago, the closest most vehicle manufacturers got to technological convergence involved installing Bluetooth. Sat-nav systems were proprietary sealed units, dashboards retained their time-honored swathes of dials and buttons and few companies even offered cubbyholes capable of holding a mobile phone in place while navigating a roundabout.
Changes Are Coming To Your Mid-Sized Sedan
Today, the situation is radically different. Research by Nissan earlier this month revealed 13% of car buyers would shun a vehicle without internet connectivity, and 28% now prioritize connectivity over fuel efficiency. As a result, almost every new car or van on sale will have a USB docking port and the ability to make/receive calls through steering wheel-mounted controls. Tesla has abolished buttons and switches altogether on its twin-screen Model S dashboard, while BMW and Audi are among the brands whose color interfaces are operated by mouse-style rotary wheels. Vehicles are increasingly being fitted with embedded SIM cards offering connection speeds of 100Mbit/s for live parking information and social media access; others even automatically call the emergency services if an airbag is deployed.
Connected On The Go
However, the convergence of mobile communications and vehicles extends far beyond those tactile dashboards. Smartphone apps represent the frontline of a fiercely contested battle among manufacturers desperate to tailor their products around modern ways of living – a concept known as the ‘connected car’. These apps allow motorists to temperature control the cabin and even start the engine remotely, as well as accessing a variety of information about the vehicle’s condition and past/future journeys. Intelligent sat-nav systems can identify roadworks or accidents before preemptively suggesting alternate routes; parking spaces can be reserved and paid for using fingerprint recognition; emails and texts can be read out and responded to via voice control.
The headlong rush to develop in-car mobile technology is leading to a rash of largely incompatible systems and divergent areas of focus, with USPs designed to tempt customers away from rival services. SEAT has partnered with Samsung to offer features like Samsung Pay, while Volvo’s Scandinavian origins are reflected in a commitment to provide pinch-and-zoom capacitive touchscreens that can be operated while wearing gloves. Vauxhalls can act as 4G hotspots for seven different devices simultaneously, whereas Tesla’s 17-inch touchscreen system can be updated through domestic Wi-Fi networks to improve upon the in-built 3G data connection.
Almost But Not Quite
It remains to be seen whether certain protocols and services (such as mechanical failures automatically triggering a call-out from breakdown providers) will become standardized across the industry. People who regularly drive more than one car may resent being unable to access certain features due to unique manufacturer tie-ups or exclusivity deals. User interfaces will remain manufacturer-specific, but platforms like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are expected to dominate the market – both will probably be pre-installed into vehicles so a change of handset (or owner) doesn’t cause compatibility issues. Android Auto already has tie-ups with most European and North American car manufacturers; Apple lags behind but is also gaining market share.
No Batteries Required
Experts predict that future generations of Auto and CarPlay won’t require a smartphone or tablet to operate, effectively turning each car or van into a standalone device that accesses cloud-hosted services and communications when its user logs in. With voice control coming into its own on the move, and work already starting on 4K dashboard displays, the connected generation have plenty to look forward to on the move.