The Connected Car: The Future’s Benefits, Today
- January 10, 2018
- Scott at LoJack
Automobiles have changed continually since the introduction of the electric starter in 1911, but it has been the birth of the connected car that fundamentally changed the nature of how people will interact with their car. Today’s connected cars are equipped with Internet access that lets them transmit data about their own health, location and usage, and often provide wireless local area networking to the occupants. These technologies bring with them tremendous power that would have seemed incredible a little over 20 years ago when the early connected car made its debut.
Potential Savings for the Owner
Up until that time, the dealer and manufacturer had little or no contact with customers once the car drove off the lot. Over the first decade of the 21st century, the capabilities of the connected car grew to include remote diagnostics, vehicle health, turn-by-turn navigation, and telematics. Today, 4G LTE Wi-Fi networking is at the heart of a wealth of personalized applications that help dealers, manufacturers and customers build mutually beneficial relationships. The connected car is becoming a portal for services that improve convenience and a sense of security, vehicle maintenance and the customer experience overall. Beyond getting drivers and passengers online when you’re on the road, the connected car can keep you aware of your loved ones’ whereabouts, alert you to upcoming preventive maintenance, and get help quickly in the event of a crash.
Telematics devices equipped with an accelerometer can detect a driver’s behavior patterns, making it possible to lower insurance rates for good drivers based on actual data. Called user-based insurance (UBI), this can save money for both insurers and their customers, and can be much more accurate than old methods based on simple demographics and whole ZIP codes.
More Convenience Using Telematics
With a GPS, connected telematics devices can detect and report a car’s location, helping the driver remember where the car is parked, sending an alert if the car is towed or moved, or notifying the owner when a loved one arrives home. For example, a parent can set up alerts to make sure their teen drivers get to school on time, and whether they came straight home afterward. Car owners can set up “zones” and receive notification when the car enters or leaves them.
These technologies are driving an economic revolution as well. According to BI Intelligence, 82% of all connected cars shipped in 2021 will be connected to the Internet of Things. The connected car is growing faster than the smartphone market for the first time. As the capabilities of the connected car continue to drive a growing ecosystem of applications, even older vehicles will be retrofitted with devices to connect them to the internet.
To learn more about connected car telematics, read more on LoJack SureDrive at www.lojack.com/suredrive