Car owners/drivers will thus be saved the trouble of fumbling with their telephones to make/receive calls or send/read text messages, considered a traffic offence in many countries.
A connected car, according to an online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, is a car that is equipped with internet access, with the aid of a wireless local area network.
The car will increasingly rely on voice command, and drivers can dictate emails or communicate with people outside their cars.
It allows required information to arrive without too much searching or button pushing.
A multinational firm, Intel, says the connected car is now the third fastest growing technological device, after phones and tablets.
Little wonder that the firm is investing $100m in the next five years in companies that can quicken the adoption of connected cars.
By the end of 2014, every big vehicle brand will offer some sort of connectivity, says a report by BBC.
The report published on Monday quoted Mr. Jack Bergquist of information company IHS as saying, “Over 50 per cent of consumers (car buyers) would be swayed by the presence of an internet-capable device.”
“Infotainment” is the phrase currently being used by most auto companies to describe the connected material in a car.
Many vehicles currently available in the market, including Nigeria, perform a number of amazing functions such as giving direction through GPS; tuning to a radio station or playing music of choice by voice command; locating parking space automatically and warning of closeness to vehicle vehicles in front to avert accidents.
The BBC report also recalls how science fiction has regularly shown examples of what an intelligent car can accomplish.
For instance, it says there are already apps that can show local petrol stations and their prices; allowing drivers to keep going for a few more miles to save some money on each litre of fuel when filling up the tank.
It says, “There is also an app to find a car parking space in some major cities, using electronic sensors, or analysing an aerial view of local street spaces.
“Perhaps more interesting are the things you never knew you could find out. When stopped at a traffic light, trials have shown a system where a time can pop up on the dashboard letting drivers know how long until it changes.”
Experts say the connected car will do much more; it is not just about bringing music, GPS and mobile connectivity to cars.
“Eventually connected cars will evolve into something more complex than channeling music from your smartphone to your car’s dashboard,” says Bergquist.
Connected cars are taking advantage of the rise of Smartphones to offer apps to interact with the car from any distance, says smartplanet.com.
Some auto companies have developed a number of car systems in partnership with technology firms. The efforts have giving rise to Toyota Monet; Toyota G-Book and G-Book Mx. Others are Lexus Enform, Chrysler UConnect, Ford Sync, Ford Myford Touch, Audi MMI, BMW Connected and MINI Connected.
There are also other car manufacturers that have their own connected car systems. These include Honda, Nissan, Mercedes, Renault and Fiat.
The European Union has started the Cooperative Vehicle Infrastructure Systems project to ensure that car manufacturers cooperate with one another.
“By the end of 2014, for some of the bigger brands, every vehicle they sell will offer some sort of connectivity,” says Bergquist.
“If you look at a cost to design a completely new car model, some companies are spending around a third of the budget just on the in-vehicle infotainment and the in-car technology around the system.”
But safety concerns are being raised around the connected car.
Some critics of the new device say it will be a major source of distraction, especially with driving currently taking every bit of the driver’s attention.
A global technologist for connected services for Ford, Mr. John Ellis, says, “The danger is safety.
Another report, however, says the fears are being addressed with a mandatory sensor, which calls emergency services in the event of an accident.
Titled eCall, under EU plans, all new cars will be fitted with it by 2015, according to the report.
But it is not just on-road safety that is causing headaches; “People being able to hack into the car is a big issue,” says Bergquist.
“If there’s a data system in a car, technically, someone could hack into it,” he noted.
Like the electric car, no one is sure when the connected car will be introduced to the Nigerian market. http://gistlane.com/cars-with-internet-connectivity-gain-popularity/
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