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

  • Auto-braking cars: government should meet motorists halfway
    March 25, 2014
    A UK Government incentive for drivers buying cars with anti-crash technology would save 60 lives and result in 760 fewer serious casualties reported to the police, in just three years. Over ten years, such an incentive would save 1,220 lives and nearly 136,000 casualties, according to Thatcham Research, the insurance industry’s automotive research centre. At a briefing seeking support from senior politicians, health organisations, insurers and vehicle manufacturers at the House of Commons today, Peter S
  • Telematics standards need to evolve to keep up with technology
    July 30, 2012
    Scott Andrews and Scott McCormick take a look at how standards development for the telematics environment needs itself to evolve in order to stay abreast of technological advances. While the road has been somewhat arduous, telematics has evolved from a research activity to a resource for fleet operators, consumers and road management authorities.
  • The move towards shared telematics platforms
    February 27, 2013
    Is the end for dedicated, in-vehicle telematics systems now in sight? Some seemed to think so at the recent Telematics Munich 2012 conference… Geoff Hadwick reports. Forget smartphone apps – leave that sort of thing to Apple and Google,” Roger Lanctot, associate director of the global automotive practice at consultancy Strategy Analytics told more than 700 delegates in Munich last month at the Telematics Munich 2012 conference. They are a waste of time and money, he said. Forget putting too much data on das
  • Authorities look to MaaS for new solutions and cost savings
    July 18, 2017
    The structure of society and the way in which our cities work will be completely transformed by Mobility as a Service (MaaS), Finland’s minister of transport and communications Anne Berner, told ITS International’s recent MaaS Market conference 2017 in London. In her keynote address, Berner told a packed audience of more than 200 ITS professionals that MaaS has the potential to help governments around the world meet their big city targets such as the rate of employment, the environment, the efficient use of