BMW has most advanced connectivity, study says
The vendor with the most advanced connectivity concept is – in this case unsurprisingly – BMW. With its Connected Drive concept, the Bavarian carmaker offers the most complete connectivity approach, judges Machina Research. BMW is followed by GM – the company’s OnStar technology is described by the Machina Research experts as "something of a trailblazer". Third in the ranking is the first real surprise: Ford. Though many observers regard Ford’s Sync system as somewhat outdated, Machina Research certifies that Ford’s concept actually is rather advanced and complete – thanks to its scale and increasing focus on developing an embedded offering. Audi, Chrysler and Daimler, again not a big surprise, are ranking number four, five and six for their all-round sophistication and comparative maturity.
But wait – isn’t there one player missing – one we always believed to be extremely trendsetting? For its all-electric model range? Well, Tesla Motors made it only to rank 7th. The reason for this relatively weak ranking however is not poor performance or lack of concept, but, as Machina Research puts it, the low sales volumes. The study however recognises the high significance of connectivity to Tesla’s overall strategy. The same holds true, by the way, for Daimler.
Toyota, Volkswagen and Honda are ranking 8th to 10th – in a certain way they the rear guard in this avant-garde group.
The study, sponsored by Vodafone, took into account the scale and sophistication of the connected car programmes. The ranking looked at a combination of weighted criteria such as which in-car services are available, the openness of the system to developers, as well as the overarching purpose of the connectivity.
According to the study, the next two years will see automotive connectivity adoption rocket as car manufacturers move to including a mobile connection in an increasing number of new vehicles. As a result drivers are set to benefit from services such as connected navigation, music streaming, and in-car WiFi. As a result, getting the connected car strategy right will be critical to future success.
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