Skip to main content

Car-sharing operators move to smartphone-based car access systems

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the Vehicle-sharing Technologies Market, finds that the global car-sharing user base will reach 26 million members by 2020. Car-sharing operators (CSOs) in North America will lead the way in terms of technology deployments, followed by Europe. To meet the growing demand, partnerships among CSOs, technology companies and original equipment manufacturers will gather pace. Over the years, vehicle-sharing technologies have evolved from simple manual
November 27, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
New analysis from 2097 Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the Vehicle-sharing Technologies Market, finds that the global car-sharing user base will reach 26 million members by 2020. Car-sharing operators (CSOs) in North America will lead the way in terms of technology deployments, followed by Europe. To meet the growing demand, partnerships among CSOs, technology companies and original equipment manufacturers will gather pace.

Over the years, vehicle-sharing technologies have evolved from simple manual systems to increasingly complex computer-based systems. In the next three to seven years, the market will move away from off-the-shelf technologies toward open source software, plug and play systems and smartphone-based near field communications/ Bluetooth low energy (NFC/BLE) technologies. By 2025, automated driving, connected mobility and electric vehicle charging technologies will form the crux of the vehicle-sharing technology market.

“NFC based technologies are being incorporated as a basic standard in smartphones by the majority of the smartphone makers. This will unearth opportunities for cost-effective, smartphone-based remote vehicle control solutions,” said Frost & Sullivan intelligent mobility senior research analyst Albert Geraldine Priya. “CSOs will also be able to deliver a superior ‘car ownership’ experience through automatic personalisation features such as rear-view mirror and seat adjustments configured in the smartphone.”

On the flip side, smartphone-based access control and vehicle tracking solutions have several inherent security issues. The risk of hacking, interception of communication signals, thefts, data corruption and viruses will delay the adoption of smartphone-based vehicle-sharing solutions.

Concerns surrounding the effective integration of third party hardware and software solutions with business processes deter most car-sharing operators from subscribing to third-party services. In addition, legal regulations in some countries fail to create an environment conducive to the uptake of vehicle-sharing technologies. However, the advantages far outweigh the challenges.

“CSOs are looking to attract more subscribers by lowering costs and enhancing user experience through the integration of smartphone-based keyless access into car-sharing solutions,” noted Priya. “Semi-autonomous and fully autonomous cars in vehicle-sharing fleets will become a reality by 2018 and 2025 respectively, further simplifying car-sharing and opening up additional markets for participants in the vehicle-sharing technologies market.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Driving dynamics ‘vastly influence car purchase decisions in Europe’
    April 24, 2015
    Driving dynamics play a huge role in the purchasing decisions of vehicle owners in Europe. While safety and reliability are top priorities, driving dynamics-related capabilities such as manoeuvrability and ride quality rank high in importance among consumers looking to buy a car. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, European Consumers’ Attitude towards Driving Dynamics Technologies, finds that urban male customers are willing to pay a higher than average price to upgrade driving dynamics technologies. Wo
  • Study forecasts growth of self-driving cars
    January 7, 2014
    In its latest study, “Emerging Technologies: Autonomous cars—not if, but when,”, IHS Automotive forecasts total worldwide sales of self-driving cars (SDC) will grow from nearly 230 thousand in 2025 to 11.8 million in 2035 – seven million SDCs with both driver control and autonomous control and 4.8 million that have only autonomous control. In all, there should be nearly 54 million self-driving cars in use globally by 2035. The study anticipates that nearly all of the vehicles in use are likely to be self
  • Modelling MaaS and making it happen
    June 15, 2017
    Colin Sowman looks at some of the emerging technology being introduced to evaluate and operate Mobility as a Service. The fast-growing interest in Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) has prompted the creation of a host of software systems for those wanting to become a MaaS provider or participate in MaaS offerings. Most recently, at ITS International’s MaaS Market conference, Portuguese company Brisa Innovation announced a name change to A-to-Be to reflect its increasing involvement in the MaaS sector with the lau
  • EV manufacturers to focus on range, recharging and inductive charging
    April 7, 2017
    The electric vehicle (EV) market is booming, according to Frost & Sullivan researchers. Approximately 25 new electric vehicle models are likely to be launched later this year with Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3 being the most anticipated. The availability of incentives and subsidies in the market, significant investment by original equipment manufacturers, new entrants, and lower battery prices are factors propelling double-digit growth. However, the lack of standardisation in charging technology, absence