Counter to Current Market Sentiment, Connected Navigation More Popular than Social Media and Radio Streaming, According to ABI Research’s Connected Car Survey

In a new ABI Research connected car consumer survey, 1,500 respondents in the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, and China were asked about their use (and non-use) of several services available to the “connected car.” Among those who do not currently use any infotainment services, connected navigation was named as the most desired infotainment service by between 59% and 72% (Extremely/Very Interested)  in all countries except China, where the greatest interest was in concierge services.

Internet Radio only showed average levels of interest among non-users, even in the US where most major OEMs and aftermarket vendors are heavily focusing on multimedia streaming. Surprisingly email, social media, and networking integration scored very low. However those using Internet radio already used it often.

Telematics and Navigation Group Director Dominique Bonte comments: ”The clear preference for connected navigation can be explained by the familiarity of users with this service. Clearly car OEMs need to build their infotainment platforms around navigation, especially as overall awareness levels about other connected car services remain low. On the other hand the high frequency of use of Internet radio among users suggests that car owners embrace new services once they have become familiar."

Other significant conclusions from the connected car survey include:

·         High awareness and interest in safety and security services as opposed to infotainment, convenience, and cost saving features.

·         "High costs" and "lack of awareness" are mentioned as the main reasons non-user respondents were not interested in connected car services.

·         Low willingness to pay, with average monthly fees mentioned by non-users hovering around $10 and hardware costs not higher than $700.

ABI Research’s multi-country “Connected Car: Market Shares, Awareness, Service Preferences, Usage Patterns, and Willingness to Pay” survey was completed in 2Q 2011. Questions covered awareness and interest levels in connected car service categories and individual applications, usage patterns, satisfaction, willingness to pay, form factors, user interfaces, and safety issues.

The report of the survey’s results is part of the firm’s Connected Car Research Service.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 40+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.​