There’s a lot of talk and speculation about connected cars and what’s to come as a result of them. But what do consumers really think and want from a connected car today?
We wanted to know whether or not consumers knew what a connected car was and what kind of features they would want in one. So, we commissioned Wakefield Research to survey 1,000 Americans from all 50 states in a scientific-grade study to find the answers. Some results may surprise you. See our infographic below for details.
What is a Connected Car?
Connected cars are linked wirelessly to other devices, such as smartphones or computers, to provide useful data or services to the driver. Benefits include infotainment services, GPS tracking and vehicle diagnostics. True connected cars of the future will be able to process huge volumes of data to enable smart autonomous car driving, process detailed sensory information (weather, car part diagnostics) and connect to homes and even to other cars.
We asked consumers what their familiarity level is with connected cars. According to the study, 68% of consumers report that they aren’t familiar with connected cars, and 54% reported that they have never used connected car features. However, 18-34 year olds are the most likely to be using connected car features out of all other age ranges.
Despite the unfamiliarity, consumers are intrigued by what connected cars have to offer. Here’s what they want the most:
- #1 Preferred Category of Features: Safety & Security
Half of consumers (51%) prefer Safety and Security features over any other category. The top two preferred features in this category are emergency call systems and vehicle recovery services in case their car is stolen.
- #2 Preferred Category of Features: Car Maintenance
The ability to see vehicle diagnostics and maintenance needs were also overwhelmingly chosen as the #1 preferred feature in this category. Monitoring fuel usage patterns was ranked 2nd.
- #3 Preferred Category of Features: Easy Driving Assistance
Surprisingly, this category of features wasn’t as popular as Safety and Security. And more consumers preferred the automatic braking safety feature (a car that brakes by itself to prevent accidents) over self-parking or lane change assist features. This finding may demonstrate that consumers show restraint over using autonomous car features and are more inclined to prioritize safety features instead.
- #4 Preferred Category of Features: Concierge Service
This category of features is the least preferred. There is also less consensus over what is the ideal convenience feature. While 30% preferred the ability to easily locate car using a mobile app, 29% chose in-car voice commands and 29% chose in-car WiFi capabilities.
Paying for Features
No matter what features they favored, 68% of consumers reported that they would prefer to pay for connected car features all at once through the dealership at the point of sale or lease.
Connecting Consumers’ Cars today in the Aftermarket
Meeting consumer demand for safe and secure connected cars doesn’t require 10 years waiting for an automaker to catch up on the connected car market. Now dealers can help consumers make their cars ‘smart’ with Kahu, a mobile GPS tracking service designed to help consumers easily locate their cars, ensure stolen vehicle recovery in cases of theft, track car battery life, and much more – all through a simple app that can be downloaded to their smartphones.
If you are a dealer, go here for more information on how you can sell Kahu at your dealership.
If you are a consumer, go here for more information on how Kahu connects your car.