Car manufacturers connect cars to the internet
Connected vehicles can self-diagnose a breakdown or call an ambulance should you need one, writes Jamie Carter
The next time you buy a car you probably won't think about mileage, efficiency or comfort; you'll be too busy asking questions about how it connects to the internet. The era of the "connected" car is already upon us in a big way, and the way the dashboard talks to the internet and your smartphone - and to what end - is fast becoming crucial to purchasing decisions.
From Chrysler and Ford to Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz, all the major car companies have dashboards that can use a smartphone for navigation, Siri voice activation or perhaps just hands-free calling.
Thinking cars will be especially relevant in Asia's megacities, such as Beijing
They all have one more thing in common; they're at an existential crossroads.
Questions troubling motor manufacturing executives are plentiful. For example, should a company that makes cars even attempt to create a smart dashboard operating system, or should it be left to the likes of Google, Apple and Samsung to come up with a polished user interface? Should the car have a SIM card embedded or should it just connect to a smartphone?
"The smartphone is one way of providing integration, and is suitable for bringing content, such as music, into the car," says Shanghai-based Drue Freeman, senior vice-president for global automotive and transportation at NXP Semiconductors.
But there's a whole raft of safety-centric applications that this "slave" approach doesn't allow. NXP has its own connected car solution called ATOP that combines GPS and mobile communications to power an automatic emergency call system, eCall. "In the event of an accident, the device sends an electronic distress signal via the mobile network to the nearest emergency service, saving lives by getting injured people to hospital more quickly," says Freeman.