Connected Car: autonomous, smart and green

More than 16 million cars in Europe will become "smartphones on wheels" this year, as pointed out in an interesting article by ABC a few months ago. Connected cars, with internet connectivity to optimize journeys and reduce fuel consumption, are a major destination towards which the automotive industry is heading.

In this way, the connected car presents a significant challenge for automotive component suppliers this year. However, not just for them. Within the automotive industry, to make the connected car a widespread reality, various players enter the field, including technology companies, telecommunications firms, and startups, among others.

But not only that, the industry's path will lead to a destination based on the connected, sustainable, and automated car. The four major trends that will shape the future of the automotive industry are:

1. The proliferation of mobility options, leading to new business models and services.
2. The development of autonomous vehicles, driven by advances in technology and regulations.
3. Broad digitization, with the application of big data analytics, connectivity, and artificial intelligence.
4. The shift towards electric vehicles, with the industry currently in a transition phase, aiming for more fuel efficiency and an increase in alternative energy-powered cars.

Connected Cars and Artificial Intelligence

The process of digitization towards the connected car goes beyond the development of autonomous driving, focusing on a paradigm where connectivity takes center stage.

A connected car, for instance, optimizes both fuel consumption and every journey, resulting in fuel and time savings.

A connected car is essentially a vehicle equipped with internet access. Typically, these cars also have access to a wireless or satellite local area network, allowing the connected car to share internet access with other devices, both inside and outside the vehicle. This means a connected car has the ability to notify us if we exceed speed limits or to remotely activate the climate control system as we approach our connected car.

Regarding the future of connected cars, it aims to anticipate potential mechanical failures. The goal is to reduce the risk of accidents and enhance safety by utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Thus, the connected car is moving towards vehicles adopting a predictive maintenance approach through regular component analysis, aiming to prevent breakdowns that could lead to accidents or immobilized vehicles.

Similarly, vehicle digitization will enable personalized safety plans based on the driver's behavior analysis: Is the seatbelt fastened? Is the braking abrupt?

Moreover, within the context of smart cities, with what is known as Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), the connected car will enable information exchange with infrastructure like traffic lights and road signs, among other examples.

Given these prospects, the work carried out by technology and telecommunications entities related to connected cars is becoming increasingly significant.

In this regard, Autoparts from Spain believes that technology-focused entities in the connected car sector will play an increasingly pivotal role as part of the automotive component supplier industry and for the automotive sector as a whole.