Skip to main content

New research predicts growth of autonomous parking technology

New research by ABI Research forecasts that shipments of new cars featuring autonomous parking technologies to grow at 35 per cent CAGR between 2016 and 2026 and for revenues to likewise show growth at 29.5 per cent CAGR. ABI Research identifies three phases of autonomous parking, with each successive stage set to gradually displace the former and all three coexisting to some degree over the next decade. Ultimately, technology will reach a point in which the car parks itself entirely, with no driver assi
March 9, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
New research by 5725 ABI Research forecasts that shipments of new cars featuring autonomous parking technologies to grow at 35 per cent CAGR between 2016 and 2026 and for revenues to likewise show growth at 29.5 per cent CAGR.

ABI Research identifies three phases of autonomous parking, with each successive stage set to gradually displace the former and all three coexisting to some degree over the next decade. Ultimately, technology will reach a point in which the car parks itself entirely, with no driver assistance or presence within the car required. In Phase 1, the car will provide steering assistance with the driver still inside the vehicle and in control. Phase 2 shows autonomous parking with the driver outside the vehicle but still in control, and Phase 3 introduces autonomous valet parking in which the driver leaves the vehicle at the entrance of a car park. The car then parks itself and waits for the driver to summon it when it’s time to leave.

According to James Hodgson, research analyst at ABI Research, passive assistance from ultrasonic sensors and exterior cameras are becoming standard features in most new car models in developed regions. As more manufacturers turn toward more autonomous parking solutions, OEMs continue to heavily push for consumer education on the systems’ safety benefits and added convenience, to convince them of the value of the concept.

The 1765 American Automobile Association (AAA) recently published survey results that suggest that 80 per cent of American drivers believe their own parking abilities to be adequate. Only 25 per cent of respondents would trust a self-parking system to replace them in the parking manoeuvre.

“The market could see a spike in consumer adoption of autonomous parking technology if drivers are drawn by correlated lower insurance costs,” continues Hodgson. “Given the empirical evidence demonstrating the superiority of autonomous parking, cars fitted with such technologies may yield lower insurance premiums, as the market experienced with other ADASs, such as autonomous emergency braking.”

Phase 2 technologies are evident in the January 2016 launch of the Tesla OTA Summon auto park feature, as well as BMW’s recent launch of Remote Control Parking on flagship 7 Series in certain regions. While current Phase 2 technologies are limited in ability, as current car systems can only move the car forward and backward at a distance of a few meters and cannot turn the car, it is an important step forward in that it successfully parks the car with the driver removed.

“As the market moves toward the new future of driverless vehicles, parking will remain an important function, but the evolution could bring about big change,” concludes Hodgson.

“Car parks will theoretically not need to be close to the driver’s final destination once cars can park themselves without driver observation or control. This could signify larger social advantages for crowded areas, as inner cities may soon be able to reclaim parking spaces for other purposes. At the same time, the need for parking spaces may ultimately disappear altogether as shared driverless vehicles drop off and pick up customers in a near continuous way.”

Related Content

  • September 25, 2013
    Multiple vehicle crashes could soon be a thing of the past, say experts
    Experts at Thatcham Research - the UK motor insurers’ automotive research facility, believe that multiple vehicle accidents could be mitigated or avoided altogether with the widespread use of new automatic braking technologies. Thatcham has been researching and testing autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems on behalf of insurers for the last three years and has already undertaken an in-depth study of crashes and their causation factors.
  • December 12, 2014
    Infrastructure and the autonomous vehicle
    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
  • April 21, 2017
    Consumers ‘fear technology failures with autonomous vehicles’
    With the exception of Generation Y (1977-1994), all other generational groups are becoming more sceptical of self-driving technology, which poses a new challenge to car manufacturers and technology developers, according to the J.D. Power 2017 US Tech Choice Study. The study was carried out in January-February 2017 and is based on an online survey of more than 8,500 consumers who purchased/leased a new vehicle in the past five years. “In most cases, as technology concepts get closer to becoming reality, cons
  • May 9, 2012
    New revenue streams for transit operators through NFC
    NXP has claimed the top spot in the contactless ticketing market in ABI Research’s new market analysis. Shipments of the Mifare range (Classic, Plus, Ultralight, and DESFire) remain strong despite some security concerns around the Classic product. ABI says that overall, Mifare has withstood scrutiny and demonstrates that the highest level of security is not an overriding factor in adoption with the focus on cost effectiveness, convenience, and reliability. The lack of alternative solutions has helped cement