The Connected Car - The Next Battlefield for Automakers

By all means, in-vehicle connectivity and smart cars will make roads safer and ease congestion, as it will allow cars to talk to each other, receiving and sharing information on road and weather conditions and potential road hazards. Vehicles will also be able to communicate to the infrastructure, allowing exchange of information that is key to ensuring traffic safety. Global automakers have realized that connected cars are the future of driving, and have started developing solutions for enhanced vehicle connectivity, including built-in Wi-Fi, real-time traffic information, automatic emergency calls, integrated navigation, instant messaging and remote car defect diagnosis.

One of the most exciting prospects of the introduction of connected cars is the fact that they are expected to greatly reduce motor vehicle crashes. A connected car can send real-time information about hazardous traffic situations, such as crashes or roadworks, warning other vehicles of a potentially dangerous traffic scenario, so that other drivers traveling along that same route can take precautions and slow down, or choose a different route. Vehicles will also letting each other know when departing highways or entering intersections, further reducing the risk of collisions.

Furthermore, they will be able to detect when a collision is imminent, and automatically inform emergency services and sharing their location data, thus making for faster response times and potentially preventing traffic fatalities. Another benefit of in-vehicle connectivity is the capability of car defect prognostics, with cloud-based services such as remote monitoring and diagnosis. Drivers will be able to access mobile apps that provide maintenance and repair tips, so that they can prevent breakdowns while on the road.

In addition to improving convenience and reducing traffic accidents, the "wireless" cars of the future will be of great help to authorities in their efforts to ease traffic congestion. Traffic management is a significant aspect of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, with cars sharing real-time traffic and location data, so that transportation agencies can adjust traffic rules, imposing variable speed limits and installing adaptable traffic lights, which will help ease traffic flow.

As far as car makers and their commitment to develop vehicles that can interact with the traffic infrastructure and with each other, it seems that the likes of BMW, Audi, GM, and Volvo are poised to take a leading role in the race to bring connected cars to the market. Audi has already equipped some of its models with built-in high-speed Internet, an infotainment system that provides real-time traffic information and satellite images, along with information on weather and road conditions. General Motors will start installing 4G LTE in various models next year, providing drivers and passengers with access to all sorts of web applications on the go.

However, while vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology is bound to have a huge impact on traffic and transportation, and improve the whole driving experience, by enhancing safety and convenience, there are a few obstacles that might delay its implementation. The biggest challenge will be building a completely new infrastructure that will be able to connect to cars and share information. Authorities will have to install systems for remote control of traffic lights, and embed sensors under the surface of highways, city streets and parking lots and garages, so it's going to take a lot of time before the infrastructure is ready to cater to these new, smart cars. Also, car makers will have to work together to create an open, uniform platform that will allow sharing of data between different car brands, which won't happen before manufacturers can get some sort of reassurance of the potential business benefits of such a collaboration.