5 Trends Which Will Dominate the Connected Cars Industry in 2018
It is estimated that by 2018, 48 million connected cars are going to be shipped worldwide. Because of this, a lot of cities have recognized the importance of adapting the infrastructure in order to facilitate this emerging technology.
Connectivity has changed and will continue to impact the automotive industry in ways no other technology has done it before.
And now that we’re so close to saying goodbye to 2017, it’s time to explore five major trends which will dominate this industry in 2018.
Let’s take a look.
1. Big Data
The downside of today’s cars is that the information is stored locally, which means drivers may not have access to all the latest updates when it comes to maps or entertainment services for example.
The second aspect is, even though the cars already come equipped with advanced technology, sensors and performant onboard computers, they are not connected to one another.
Big data will transform the way we drive forever because connected cars will be up to date with everything.
Research shows that by 2020, connected car services will reach $40 billion in annual revenue.
Insane amounts of data can be generated while cars are on the road. This will be extremely helpful for city planners and city engineers as they will be able to design safer roadways and relieve the traffic congestion.
2. From Hardware to Software
Until recently, the focus in the automotive industry was primarily about the hardware.
Slowly, we’ve started to notice a shift. Automakers have started prioritizing the development of AI systems.
And in 2018, we’ll see this trend even more.
Kal Gyimesi, automotive marketing leader for IBM Watson IoT, makes a very good point and says that:
“We need to understand the people in the car [on a personal level].”
To be able to do this, automakers and software companies have to think about a couple of aspects:
- What devices are drivers bringing with them in the car and how can they connect them to the software which is already integrated into the vehicle?
- How can the vehicle learn patterns and the driver’s behavior so it provides a customized experience?
3. Augmented Reality
In 2016, Pokémon GO, AR reached one of its highest peaks of popularity until now.
And in 2018, we might see AR used in automotive maintenance.
Here’s how.
Let’s say you run a maintenance shop and one day, several cars arrive at your shop. One of them has an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) augmented reality package and the other ones don’t.
Because of this, running a diagnosis on the other cars will take much more time as they were all involved in a car crash.
But the car equipped with an AR system is easy to diagnose. You’ll just need to pull out your tabletand scan the car with it. The app will highlight all the components which need maintenance or need to be replaced.
You will also have access to all existing information such as miles driven, how many times the brake was used or what happened before and during the car crash.
Through the app, you will be able to contact the OEM directly and request the components you need to fix the car.
AR will have multiple uses for connected cars and this one will definitely be part of the near future.
4. 3D Printing
3D printing is a cost-effective method to build pretty much anything. Which is why we will see more of it when it comes to car design.
With 3D printing, the connected car industry will be able to use this technology to build a solid chassis for the car, whilst the outer body would be designed to withstand a single car crash.
This concept could totally disrupt the idea of accident repair and will represent a great benefit when it comes to creating stronger and lighter vehicles.
5. Predictive Analytics
Thanks to big data and advanced software, predictive analytics will become huge next year. Machine learning and artificial intelligence systems will analyze all the data to make predictions about the future.
These predictions will not only help companies (which will know much more about customer’s preferences), but drivers as well, by identifying potential problems with the car for example.
The Connected Cars Revolution
Connected cars are slowly starting to learn more and more about the driver in order to deliver better services.
One thing’s clear: the next few years will be crucial for the development of these cars, specifically the software. It’s only a matter to see how brands and companies will interpret the data and what they’re going to do with it.