Skip to main content

Growth of OEM telematics in new passenger cars

The latest research by ABI Research forecasts the global penetration of embedded and hybrid factory installed OEM telematics in new passenger cars to exceed 72 per cent by 2021. Growth will mainly be driven by key volume car OEMs in the US, European Union and China markets. Brands within these markets showing accelerated growth include GM, which expects to reach 12 million OnStar subscribers globally by the end of 2016, including its Opel brand in Europe and Cadillac in China; and Ford, which claims to have
March 3, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The latest research by 5725 ABI Research forecasts the global penetration of embedded and hybrid factory installed OEM telematics in new passenger cars to exceed 72 per cent by 2021. Growth will mainly be driven by key volume car OEMs in the US, European Union and China markets. Brands within these markets showing accelerated growth include 1959 GM, which expects to reach 12 million OnStar subscribers globally by the end of 2016, including its 4233 Opel brand in Europe and Cadillac in China; and Ford, which claims to have already 15 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road worldwide.

“While lower cost hybrid approaches remain attractive to end users, a clear trend toward embedded solutions can be observed, as illustrated by Ford’s recently announced SYNC Connect,” says Dominique Bonte, managing director and vice president at ABI Research. “At the same time, embedded solutions are made more affordable through shared data plans, allowing customers to avoid purchasing a separate connected car data plan by adding allowing their connected cars to existing plans.”

The rising embedded solutions trend is resulting in fierce competition among carriers vying to capture lucrative connected car market share in an increasingly saturated mobile environment. While in the US, AT&T and Verizon are pitched against each other, Vodafone, T-Mobile, and Telefonica are competing in Europe. Meanwhile in China, major carriers are also actively targeting the automotive segment.

The strong expected growth of OEM connected car solutions  is due to a number of factors, which include eCall mandates in the EU and Russia, increasing user awareness about safety, and improved value propositions through additional services such as  UBI, preventive maintenance, and remote control capabilities via smartphones and wearables.

Additionally, ABI Research anticipates next-generation use cases, such as vehicles used as delivery locations and Car-to-Home applications, to start gaining momentum and increase the perceived value of connected car offers from car manufacturers like 609 Volvo, 278 Ford, 1731 BMW, and 1686 Toyota.

“Despite major market growth in OEM telematics, though, cyber security continues to remain a challenge,” concludes Bonte. “To overcome this obstacle, many car OEMs are implementing over-the-air software capabilities, which in itself is expected to become a major growth driver for vehicle connectivity in the future.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • BMW i3 could ‘boost electric vehicle market’
    July 31, 2013
    According to Frost & Sullivan, BMW's ibrand could have a halo effect as did the Prius for Toyota. It could boost the market for electric vehicles which has had a slow uptake rate and also position BMW's brand as the most innovative premium OEM. Commenting on the launch of the new BMW i3, the electric supermini for sale in November, Frost & Sullivan said: "BMW is the first of the traditional premium manufacturers to take a leap of faith into the EV space with the i3. Like most car companies, BMW also sells 7
  • China to ‘see unparalleled urban growth by 2025’
    November 7, 2012
    New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, New Mega Trends in China: Macro to Micro Implications of Mega Trends to 2025, says that China is set to become the largest economy in the world by 2025 with a nominal GDP value of US$38 trillion. Fuelled by a strong urbanisation rate, a favourable corporate environment, huge infrastructure investment and the largest working age population, the Chinese economy will finally transform itself from being the manufacturing site of the globe to one of the biggest and largest con
  • Car-sharing service membership will grow to 26 million worldwide in 2020
    November 30, 2015
    According to a new research report by Berg Insight, the number of users of car-sharing services worldwide is forecasted to grow from 6.5 million people in 2015 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.0 per cent to reach 26.0 million people in 2020. Berg Insight forecasts that the number of cars used for car-sharing services will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 29.6 per cent from 123,000 at the end of 2015 to 450,000 at the end of 2020. Car-sharing is one of many car-based mobility service
  • The cloud - the future of in-car telematics?
    February 28, 2013
    Fiat Chrysler product concept and infotainment director Pierpaolo Tona told the conference that the big car manufacturers need to organise their telematics approach around three key pillars – and the first one of those is people. “OEMs need to understand consumers and their needs better than they understand them themselves,” he commented. The second pillar, suggested Tona, is technology. “Technology is never for the sake of it. Choose the right technology with the right performance to fulfil every consumer’