More Car Buyers Asking “What’s in the Dash?”
It used to be “what’s under the hood?” Now car buyers are more interested in the kind of entertainment technology that comes in the dashboard.
Automotive News reports that the ability to connect smart phones to cars (and thereby connecting the cars to the Internet) is driving demand for the next generation of auto infotainment systems.
According to companies like Johnson Controls, the big areas of demand are smart phone interfacing, Internet acccess (for things like music streaming and all kinds of on-demand content) and email.
The magazine also says we’re heading towards a clash between manufacturers and regulators, many of whom see these new gadgets as more distractions from the road. The US National Highway and Safety Commission plans to decide by 2013 whether they need to get involved. I’d expect the Eurozone countries to have a say in the matter before then.
Having an online vehicle is not a high tech concept at this point. Automakers are always behind the technology eightball, anyone with knowledge of both industrial automation and vehicle control systems wonder what is taking the automakers so long to integrate new technology into vehicles.
That being said, I agree that the older I get and as time goes by, it is the things inside the vehice that I am more interested in. The fantastic sounding stereo system and other interior features in my car had more influence on my purchase than the performance or colour (although both of them are pretty decent). It is my opinion that our cars will become connected and more integrated with our current communication systems, and I am a proponent of this. However, as mentioned above, anyone with slight knowledge of automation or programming knows that safety features to not allow these devices to become a distraction while driving can easily be designed into these systems. Happy motoring!