Skip to main content

R&D on autonomous, connected and electric vehicles creates growth opportunities, says research

As the automotive industry faces narrowing margins, the need to look to other revenue streams and keep the customer committed to the brand for their next purchase is paramount, says Frost & Sullivan. Automotive manufacturers are therefore focusing on research and development (R&D) on autonomous, connected, and electrification (ACE) technologies to build fully connected and completely autonomous vehicles. To thrive in this highly competitive, evolving market, manufacturers need to look beyond seeing themselv
September 18, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
As the automotive industry faces narrowing margins, the need to look to other revenue streams and keep the customer committed to the brand for their next purchase is paramount, says 2097 Frost & Sullivan. Automotive manufacturers are therefore focusing on research and development (R&D) on autonomous, connected, and electrification (ACE) technologies to build fully connected and completely autonomous vehicles. To thrive in this highly competitive, evolving market, manufacturers need to look beyond seeing themselves as product suppliers and focus on becoming providers of mobility services. This will open the door for lucrative, new digital revenue streams.


Frost & Sullivan’s research, Global Key Automakers’ Autonomous, Connected, and Electrification Strategies, Forecast to 2025, finds that between 2015 and 2025, 10 key automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are expected to spend about US$345 billion on ACE R&D. The study provides a strategic overview of the R&D activities of key OEMs, including key technology development, investment plans, expenditure trends, current expertise, and impact on business performance. Major players such as Volkswagen (VW), Toyota, BMW, General Motors, Ford, Mercedes (Daimler), Nissan-Renault and Tesla, and their ACE technology strategies, are provided.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Full electric vehicle shipments to exceed 2 million by 2020
    October 11, 2013
    According to ABI Research, the number of full electric vehicles (EV) shipping yearly will increase from 150,000 in 2013 to 2.36 million in 2020, representing a CAGR of 48 per cent. Asia-Pacific will exhibit the strongest growth, driven by mounting pollution issues in its many megacities; however, true mass-market uptake will only start happening in the next decade.
  • Profitable niches in the electric vehicles market
    December 18, 2015
    Vehicles are electrifying at a breakneck speed and they are being completely reinvented with developments in many components and systems, according to a report by IDTechEx Research. Disruptive change and significant technological innovation is now being seen across all forms of electric vehicles for land, water and air. The fruits of all this are spectacular – from the vehicles themselves to over US$500 billion market opportunity that will be created by 2026. IDTechEx Research analyses and forecasts eve
  • Owning a car will be a thing of the past in less than a decade, say researchers
    January 10, 2017
    UK automotive executives expect that more than half of today’s car owners will not want to own a car in less than a decade, according to KPMG’s Global Automotive Executive Survey 2017. The survey found that 74 per cent of UK automotive executives think that until 2025, more than half of car owners today will not want to own a vehicle, as self-driving technology and mobility as a service will take priority. The report findings revealed that 62 per cent of UK automotive executives view diesel technolog
  • Growth of global connected car M2M connections and services market
    December 17, 2014
    The latest research by ReportsnReports.com, Global Connected Car M2M Connections and Services Market indicates that big data analytics and smart phone apps will foster the growth of the global connected car M2M connections and services market, which will see a 32 per cent CAGR for 2014-2019. According to the report, many big data analytic and automobile companies are joining forces with smart app providers to form partnerships to better understand vehicle performance and automotive businesses. Smart apps