The race for a better connected vehicle experience

Innovations in automotive connectivity and the Internet of Things (IoT), along with rising customer demand for connected experiences, are fuelling the growth of connected vehicles. According to a recent report, 96% of new vehicles shipped globally in 2030 will have built-in connectivity¹. For original equipment manufacturers (OEM) looking to deliver this connected experience, choosing the right technology and partner is critical for success.

Today, it is already possible to step into your car at the end of a long workday and ask your car to find you a pizza shop on the way home if you don’t feel like making dinner at the end of a long day. With the advancement of technology, growing automotive IoT applications, and rising customer demand for convenience and ease, more widespread automation is expected in the years to come where not only will individuals be able to talk to their cars, the cars themselves will increasingly be able to “talk” to other cars. This exchange of information will help ease traffic congestion and improve road safety and the environment. The incentive for this is already there – the global connected car market is projected to reach US$56.3 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 19.0% from 2021 to 2026 ².

IoT is making vehicles smarter, more convenient, and efficient by connecting various components of the vehicle ecosystem. As demand for cheaper, safer, greener, and more comfortable travel increases, new automotive IoT use cases focused on optimising a vehicle’s operation and maintenance and enhancing the in-vehicle experience are steadily rising. So what are customers looking for and how will it shape the next wave of innovation?

Automotive IoT enables vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication that allows vehicles on the road to communicate data to other vehicles, the road and traffic infrastructure, pedestrians, other devices, and the network. On one hand, this real-time sharing of information improves situational awareness and helps save lives, time, fuel, and the environment. On the other, it allows for real-time vehicle monitoring to optimise performance. Here’s how:

● Data on traffic lights can facilitate smooth traffic flow and reduce carbon emissions.

● Information on weather, road, and traffic conditions will alert drivers and allow them to make real-time route adjustments.

● Data on proximity with other cars or pedestrians will help the driver to avoid mishaps.

● Communication with other devices will facilitate in-vehicle streaming of calls, videos, music, and gaming.

● Data on different auto parts will help automakers with predictive diagnostics and maintenance.

The more connected a vehicle gets, the more easily it will be able to deliver personalised services and experiences to drivers.

Connecting a vehicle to its ecosystem and delivering personalised services will require large volumes of data from disparate systems and devices to be securely collected, transmitted, stored, and analysed. Three key technological building blocks are required for this – data and cloud platforms to collect, transmit, and store data; IoT connectivity platforms to link devices to the cloud; and analytics platforms to make sense of the data. OEMs will need to carefully evaluate which technological building blocks to develop in-house and which to develop through partnerships. Here are three things to keep in mind while selecting a partner:

1. Consider all aspects: It is not enough to just consider the technical capabilities of the provider. Rather, consider the technical, business, and operational capabilities the partner brings to the table and how the partner’s capabilities align with your overall strategy. For instance, a provider’s operational footprint, the regions they operate in, and their plans for expansion will help you prepare for the future.
2. Data capacity, scalability, and security are key: Prospective data and analytics providers must be evaluated on their coverage, capacity, scalability, integration, and access methods (such as APIs), exception handling, and data security. In addition, data and analytics governance and privacy must be taken into account. The impact on downstream analytics and business applications in the event of a disruption due to data quality, error handling, or availability issues must also be considered.
3. Integration is essential: An IoT product is not a single technology, rather a full stack of them that are interdependent on each other to function effectively. For example, it's important to know whether the connectivity provider operates within, or is optimised for the cloud provider of choice to reduce data movement complexity and improve integration consistency. As the customer demand for content access across devices and platforms increases, it will be important to assess the provider network’s ability to work across different types of devices and support different content formats such as audio, video, social media, and more.

Successfully navigating the connected vehicles space requires forging the right partnerships. Singtel is uniquely qualified to handle the massive volume of connections required in connected vehicles with our extensive, power-efficient, and flexible networks. With close ties across countries within the APAC region, we function as an effective point of delivery for all your network connectivity needs. As a founding member of Bridge Alliance, an ecosystem of leading mobile network operators in APAC, we believe in the benefits of collaboration. Our enterprise and technology partnerships, along with the dynamic ecosystem of market leaders and innovators in the Bridge Alliance, enable us to support a fully integrated connected vehicle experience.

Want to learn how we can help you harness the power of IoT-enabled connected ecosystems? Contact us today.
 

¹EPM and SBD Automotive, Experiences Per Mile 2030, 2021.
²Markets and Markets, Connected Car Market by Service, 2021.