May 3, 2013—Vehicle owners are interested in emerging automotive technologies that improve communications capabilities or save fuel, according to a recently released J.D. Power and Associates study.
According to the study, “2013 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study,” among vehicle owners who say they “definitely would” or “probably would” purchase specific technologies on their next vehicle, the highest percentage selected fuel economy, device/application linking for smartphones, wireless connectivity, natural language voice activation and infotainment features.
“Vehicle owners are continually aware of rising fuel costs and the need for better fuel economy," said Mike VanNieuwkuyk, executive director of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates. "As they have come to understand the benefits of new automotive technology, they are increasingly interested in those that allow them to manage their fuel consumption with greater efficiency and help better manage their cost at the pump."
Of the vehicle owners surveyed, 67 percent said they have a smartphone and 82 percent of vehicle owners with smartphones said they were interested in an in-vehicle device/application link that would connect their smartphone to their vehicle’s infotainment system.
Vehicle owners still appear to be wary of semi-autonomous driving features, including emergency braking and steering, and automatic park assist. Only 40 percent of vehicle owners surveyed were interested in emergency braking and steering, while 32 percent said they were interested in automatic park assist.
