Skip to main content

Automobile industry explores passenger car connectivity

The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) has brought together key industry stakeholders and policy makers to review the opportunities and challenges related to passenger car connectivity. The conference explored how automotive connectivity technologies could revolutionise personal mobility, as well as examining some of the challenges faced in rolling out connected cars. ACEA president Carlos Ghosn, European Commissioner for Digital Society and Economy Günther Oettinger, and Director Gene
December 10, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (6175 ACEA) has brought together key industry stakeholders and policy makers to review the opportunities and challenges related to passenger car connectivity. The conference explored how automotive connectivity technologies could revolutionise personal mobility, as well as examining some of the challenges faced in rolling out connected cars.

ACEA president Carlos Ghosn, European Commissioner for Digital Society and Economy Günther Oettinger, and Director General of 1690 European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport João Aguiar Machado each gave their respective views on the future of passenger car connectivity during the conference.

During his opening address during the event, Ghosn, who is also CEO of Renault, said "Our industry already is working with technology companies and other players as we embrace connectivity and more advanced concepts of mobility. To continue moving towards the car of the future, our industry is developing partnerships with policymakers, universities, infrastructure providers, start-ups, established tech companies, telecoms and service providers."

Ghosn highlighted some of the benefits of connectivity to consumers adding, "Connectivity means driving will become considerably safer. It also means more efficient mobility by reducing unproductive time during driving – such as when you are stuck in slow traffic. We all have in common the need for more time, and the ability to make the most effective and pleasant use of that time. As an industry, we can use connected technologies to respond to that need."

Remarks by many of the panellists illuminated the potential for smart connectivity to improve the management of traffic congestion in cities and help address the challenge of reducing emissions more effectively. Industry representatives in attendance also emphasised their commitment to privacy and data protection.

ACEA secretary general Erik Jonnaert concluded, "In Europe we need a supportive, predictable framework that enables manufacturers and suppliers to provide the best possible experience to drivers."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Infrastructure and the autonomous vehicle
    December 12, 2014
    Harold Worrall ponders the effect of autonomous vehicles on transportation infrastructure. For the last century the transportation industry has been focused on the supply of infrastructure to support the ever growing fleet of vehicles and the greater number of miles covered by each vehicle. Our focus has been planning, funding, designing, building and maintaining roadways. Politicians, engineers, planners, financial managers … all of us have had this focus. We have experienced demand growth since the first
  • Georgia DoT showcases its connectivity
    March 3, 2020
    Georgia DoT’s regional connected vehicle programme could be a model for the rest of the US. Adam Hill speaks to two men involved in making it a reality – and takes a look at the state’s first-ever Tech Showcase
  • Harmonisation of Europe's ITS deployment still unbalanced
    January 31, 2012
    Dean Herenda, Chairman of the EasyWay project, talks about the progress made and the progress still to be made in harmonising ITS deployment across the European Union. "The deployment and use of ITS in road transport across Europe was and still is unbalanced" Although Europe can be proud of being home to some of the world's most advanced ITS solutions, the relative disparities between Member States of the European Union (EU) in terms of the extent and technological sophistication of deployments actually sta
  • Driverless vehicles will cause changes in society
    May 31, 2013
    Paul Godsmark gives his views on what the advent of autonomous vehicles would mean for the wider society. Further to your article ‘Driver not required…’ in the Jan/Feb edition of ITS International which gave some great background to autonomous road vehicle (ARVs), I feel that the bigger picture is needed to aid understanding. There is a ‘technology freight train’ heading our way that is going to transform our roadways but we don’t seem to be aware of it and, therefore, are in no hurry to react.