In the realm of the Internet of Vehicles, which is rich in sci-fi elements, both traditional century-old car manufacturers and emerging high-tech companies are eager to showcase their capabilities, hoping to carve out a new territory. In fact, the emergence of various cutting-edge, bold, and advanced ideas and attempts can be attributed to the “car,” this magnificent invention that encompasses everything. Just as Tesla has impacted the new energy vehicle sector, disruptive internet thinking will undoubtedly usher cars into an entirely new domain. In the future, cars will be able to communicate and perform a myriad of functions, making it hard to distinguish whether we are driving a car or a mobile “smartphone.” The Internet of Vehicles, as the name suggests, is the combination of the internet and automobiles. Its introduction provides the possibility of creating a completely new system for the research, development, production, sales, and service of cars, also offering manufacturers a new perspective. Imagine if a company possesses the capability to produce vehicles of European and American quality while creatively transforming cars into mobile internet terminals, equipped with smart connectivity, remote control, voice control, and even autonomous driving features that competitors lack, and its development philosophy is directly derived from target consumers, utilizing community and fan marketing for market promotion, integrating online and offline sales services… wouldn’t its premium capability be enhanced?
The Three Views Report of In-Car Connectivity In recent years, in-car connectivity based on human-computer interaction systems has become a battleground for many manufacturers, each showcasing their best skills to seize market share. Let’s take a look at the current achievements of various brands in automotive connectivity!
Audi (Audi) Connect Since 2005, Audi has begun cooperation with Google, allowing drivers to access news, traffic conditions, and weather forecasts anytime through Audi Connect. With a wireless LAN hotspot, they can surf the internet and receive emails, supporting up to eight mobile devices online simultaneously. The most distinctive innovation of Audi Connect is remote parking, which allows the vehicle to automatically park in above-ground or underground spaces and automatically drive out as needed, making parking and retrieving the car effortless for drivers. In the future, the “remote parking” feature will offer even smarter versions, making automatic charging or refueling possible. Advantages: Incorporates many new network functions; remote parking is highly technological. Disadvantages: Uses Google Maps, which may not work well in China. BMW (BMW) ConnectedDrive The BMW ConnectedDrive system connects the driver, the car, the surrounding environment, and the internet. The user interface uses BMW’s iDrive system, which has a high image resolution and can enhance resolution by 1.5 to 2 times in certain areas. Advanced technology ensures fast data transmission, and in this almost unrestricted internet browsing, users can simply enter a website address to browse the web, check emails, and even complete online banking transactions in the car. While using this system, BMW’s iDrive controller acts as a mouse. Considering that browsing the internet while driving is not conducive to public safety, internet access is only available when the vehicle is parked. If the vehicle is equipped with an optional DVD entertainment system, rear passengers can still enjoy surfing the internet while the vehicle is in motion. Advantages: Service items are very detailed, covering all user needs. Disadvantages: Operating through iDrive is still not straightforward enough. Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes-Benz) Connect Mercedes-Benz’s smart connectivity encompasses convenient services, infotainment, and safety services, accessible through mobile applications, web clients, and a 24-hour smart connectivity service center. Convenient services include journey consultation services sent to the car, points of interest search and recommendations, dealer information, parking location reminders, remote light flashing, and honking. Infotainment features include weather, news, finance, nearby searches, point of interest downloads, food recommendations, Sina Weibo, and traffic snapshots. Safety services include automatic collision assistance, emergency rescue assistance, roadside assistance, stolen vehicle tracking, automatic alarm notifications, and remote door locking/unlocking. Advantages: Many service items, with various available access methods. Disadvantages: The navigation service has a poor reputation, which is an everlasting pain. Lexus (Lexus) G-book The first in-car connectivity system to enter the Chinese market through the Lexus brand. The G-BOOK service includes two main aspects: safety and comfort. Currently, a mobile application can be downloaded to use G-BOOK, allowing wireless connection with the vehicle through a smartphone terminal. This application mainly includes vehicle-related information such as fuel consumption, mileage, and parking location confirmations, as well as safety reminders for potential neglects, and remote vehicle control, which can also facilitate contact with dealerships and related service centers. Advantages: Gasoline models can use it free for 4 years, hybrid models for 6 years, and the mobile version is free for life. Disadvantages: Previously involved in infringement issues. Volvo (Volvo) SensusConnect At the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show, Volvo launched the SensusConnect system, unveiling an upgraded in-car infotainment and navigation system. This system is based on cloud technology, benefiting from Ericsson’s global “multimedia cloud transmission platform” that provides connectivity services and information interaction support. Drivers can use the Park&Pay software to pay for parking, easily search for service information like parking lots and restaurants in the car. Additionally, using the TuneIn software, they can listen to over 100,000 radio stations. Besides remotely controlling the car’s air conditioning, they can also use their smartphones for navigation, simply entering the destination, and SensusConnect will help plan the route. All Volvo cars equipped with the SensusConnect system can become WiFi hotspots, allowing passengers to browse the web and download movies to their phones or laptops. Advantages: Paying for parking through software is incredibly convenient. Disadvantages: It has not yet been widely adopted. IT Giants Have Their Secret Weapons Cars have been consumed by the internet; besides Apple and Google, chip manufacturers, in-car wireless charging technology, telecom operators, and other behind-the-scenes heroes are coming in droves. Cars are no longer just cold metal boxes but increasingly resemble intelligent robots. Chips The Nvidia Tegra processor supports infotainment navigation, digital instrument clusters, driver assistance systems, and rear-seat entertainment systems in cars. It entered the automotive chip market early, with significant usage, primarily collaborating with Audi. Intel plans to increase investment over the next four years to develop hardware, software, and services, including in-car infotainment systems and applications, advanced driver assistance systems such as GPS and night vision, voice and gesture recognition, and eye-tracking features, aiming to realize a new generation of digital cars that integrate vehicles, devices, and the cloud. Its partner manufacturers include Jaguar Land Rover. Qualcomm’s newly released automotive-grade infotainment chip set, the Snapdragon 602A application processor, supports multiple operating systems, complex user applications, enhanced 3D navigation, high resolution, fine human-computer interaction interfaces, facial recognition, gesture recognition, and a 3D gaming experience for rear seats. Wireless ChargingPMA, operated by Procter & Gamble and wireless charging technology company Powermat, has outstanding overall strength. Currently, General Motors, AT&T, Google, Qualcomm, and others use this charging standard. Qi is the first global standard for wireless charging technology promoted by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), characterized by convenience and universality, using the most mainstream electromagnetic induction technology. A4WP, created by Qualcomm in the US, South Korea’s Samsung, and the aforementioned Powermat, has slightly lower transmission efficiency than Qi. In-Car Entertainment Systems Apple CarPlay collaborates with Volvo, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz, with the fastest rollout in models equipped with CarPlay, and also cooperates with 13 automakers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Nissan, and Ford. The technology is based on the QNX system from BlackBerry, currently only projecting basic iPhone functions onto the car’s central screen and is only compatible with iPhone 5 and later models. Google has formed the Open Automotive Alliance with Audi, unlike CarPlay, it is an independent system rather than a simple projection. As an open system, Android allows third-party customization and optimization. BlackBerry, the manufacturer of BlackBerry phones, acquired QNX, an embedded operating system supplier, for $200 million in 2010. This system holds a 60% market share. Most well-known manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Porsche, Land Rover, and Honda, use the QNX system, with a conservative estimate of tens of millions of vehicles globally equipped with QNX. Voice Systems Nuance is the largest company specializing in the development and sales of voice recognition software, image processing software, and input method software. It has the world’s most advanced computer voice recognition software, NaturallySpeaking, with an English recognition capability of up to 99%. Users speak into a microphone, and the spoken content appears on the screen. Drivers can “tell” the GPS their destination, and mobile users can issue commands without pressing keys, among other significant achievements of Nuance. Telecom Operators China Mobile launched a 4G cooperative concept car in 2010, which, in addition to traditional functions, adds special features such as group calling, in-car WiFi hotspots, vehicle diagnostics, and real-time information sharing among car friends. China Unicom, leveraging its mature 3G technology, has signed comprehensive strategic cooperation agreements with automakers like FAW Group, Chongqing Changan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and BYD. China Telecom is currently in intensive negotiations with Tesla for cooperation. In the 4G era, which telecom operator will stand out remains uncertain. Map Navigation Nokia Here offers free turn-by-turn voice navigation, providing public transport information and rich road traffic information. 3D Maps can provide a bird’s eye view of any location globally while supporting street view services. Apple has long abandoned Google Maps on its iPhone, and naturally, it will not give competitors a chance on CarPlay. Apple Maps, which was criticized in its early abandonment, has improved significantly and can even compete with Google, although it still lacks in features such as nearby business searches. It is believed that Apple Maps can produce consistently high-quality results through deep integration with Siri. Google, once the dominant app leader, has not been favored by car manufacturers for a long time, mainly due to its reliance on real-time data for street views and nearby searches, while automotive map data updates tend to be slower. As car intelligence continues to proliferate and navigation screens expand (Tesla has chosen Google Maps for its 17-inch central screen), the growth potential for Google Maps in cars is enormous. Wearable Devices Mercedes-Benz + Pebble smart watch: The Pebble watch can display vehicle fuel status, location, and remote monitoring functions. Nissan + Nismo Watch: Besides monitoring vehicle speed and fuel consumption, this watch can also track the driver’s physical condition, such as heart rate. Google Glass: It has the same functions as a smartphone, making it a relatively safe device for accessing the internet while driving. The FutureInternet of Vehicles In recent years, the in-car space has become increasingly lively, with more and more smart technologies, from Apple’s CarPlay to Google’s QAA alliance, entering the car cockpit. Some say that the further internet technology goes, the smarter cars become. Here, let’s boldly predict how intelligent it can become.
Cloud Sharing Simply put, the in-car internet can share songs or software downloaded on any terminal through cloud services, and obtain driving routes and other information through shared cloud information from other vehicles, such as where the gas prices are low, electricity prices are low, or reminders of nearby sellers of certain needed items.
In-Car Accounts, Quick Payments In the future, if the car is bound to personal accounts, just like using ETC on highways, entering parking lots or buying fast food will become quite easy. The car will function like an ID card, possessing various payment or pre-payment functions and permissions.
In the Car, “Teasing” Siri Reports suggest that next year Siri will become standard in BMWs, making driving an increasingly interesting affair. Through voice control, the convenience of operations will be greatly enhanced. Additionally, the interaction between cars and humans in sci-fi movies will no longer feel distant.
Vehicle Health Check, No More Fixed Points Some automakers have begun to verify the feasibility of mobile health checks through technical means. For example, using the onboard system for testing, projecting the data onto the central instrument panel, and uploading it to the server to complete vehicle inspections.
The Ultimate Goal, Autonomous Driving Automatic deceleration, obstacle avoidance, self-service refueling… Autonomous driving can be considered the ultimate goal of automotive internet technology. Currently, Google has begun experimenting with this technology and has achieved certain results. It is believed that in the future, this technology will be widely adopted, and automotive civilization will enter a brand new stage.
U Customer Club (Guangxi) WeChat ID:uke100gx