The development of a fully connected vehicle will completely redefine customers’ future understanding and their expectations. Manufacturers must place a greater emphasis on the customer if innovative products are to successfully meet these new desires. But who will be the “customer of the future”?
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The digitisation that already underpins everyday life has coined a new generation: The “digital natives” or Generation Y, otherwise known as Gen Y. Born after 1980, this new generation has three main characteristics:
- Digital and connected – social networks and platforms are the means and method of communication. Digital natives form the first generation for which the internet and constant, ubiquitous access to information forms a given and integral part of life.
- Intellectual and cosmopolitan – approximately 25% hold a university degree. The internet is seen as the gateway to the world and is a considerable influence to this generation’s open world view.
- Demanding and mobile – the ubiquitous access to information shapes demands and expectations regarding good service. For digital natives, good service must be constantly available and its quality of service consistent. Material possession is superseded by the utilisation of mobility. Thus travel is predominantly intermodal, combining the use of various means of transportation.
However, mobility does not only apply to people but also to data. According to a study from the Centres for Transport and Society* , a third of travellers and over half of business travellers use their time on public transportation to work. Thus working on the move is possible, albeit not without disruptions.
Is private transport the solution? Upon closer inspection, it is clear that the chance of working effectively is also limited in this scenario and not just due to traffic regulations.
The customers of the future want to be able to take their digital life with them into their vehicle to satisfy the basic need to be constantly connected. And work is also a part of life – work and private life are intertwined. However, the increased risk of accident and lack of a fully developed concept of how to work in the car hinder any real effective use of journey times.
Today’s mantra is “don’t text and drive.” In the future it will be “my car is my office”.
What does the road to this future look like? The road to this new mantra can be described in three steps:
Step 1: Extending functionality – the status quo
Primary purpose of a car: Driving
Today, external devices or specific services extend the possible functions of the car. Via vehicle specific apps or the connection of mobile devices customers can partially integrate their life/ work into their car. However, the continuous enlargement of displays is limited by the premise that drivers should face as few distractions as possible. Numerous obstacles such as unintuitive usability, regulations, insufficient connectivity, low user acceptance and traditional vehicle architecture impose limitations on expanding the range of vehicle functions.
Step 2: Comprehensive adaptation of the car to the increased demands for information and expectations of its presentation
Primary purpose of the car: In addition to semi-autonomous driving, the car is a communication and data hub.
The adaptation of the vehicle to its new role to facilitate active communication with the surrounding world forms an intermediate step. Here, life and work are fully integrated into the car. The use of external devices and mobile office services makes working in the car 100% possible. Via a number of displays and a 5G data connection, it is possible to generate and absorb information during autonomous driving. However, various obstacles such as legal restrictions and a lack of an expandable data infrastructure still hinder the completely distraction-free ability to work during journeys.
Step 3: The removal of boundaries – removing the barriers between the real and virtual world
Primary purpose of the car: An extension of living and working space.
The car is undergoing a fundamental change in order to successfully meet customers’ changing expectations. The function of driving is taking a back seat. The fusion of the car and the customer’s living space will lead to the expansion of personal living and working space. The car will thus become a third room alongside the customer’s home and office. Fully autonomous driving will enable unrestricted functional use via car screens and interaction with the surrounding environment via augmented reality.
The scenario of a customer driving past the Munich Stock Exchange can be used to illustrate the extent of the seamless integration of living space: Tapping on the building on the windshield will display not only information on the building’s history but also current exchange rates and the value of the customer’s personal portfolio. The notes the customer has written on the screen will be able to be shared with, agreed upon and implemented with the bank advisors via a video conference before the customer has even entered the office. The boundaries between the real and virtual world will have been dissolved.
Thus the car will be a fully functioning office in which all private and work-related data is available – anywhere and at any time. However, even though the majority of obstacles will have been removed, the two most important restrictions will still remain: security and privacy.
Can an engineer build a BMW component into a Mercedes whilst avoiding the transferral of sensitive and confidential data from one company to the other? How will the backup of data work in the event of an accident? These are two of the numerous questions that have to be addressed if the enormous potential of an “office on wheels” can be fully exploited.
The seamless integration of living and working space into the car will result in the more efficient use of time. A factor which proves priceless for many premium customers for whom time remains the most valuable commodity. However, does the above promise of value match the performance promises manufacturers have made so far?
It matches perfectly. Take the example of BMW:
Their branding promise of “sheer driving pleasure” remains; however, a redefinition could see it be developed further. Whilst previous understanding behind the slogan “sheer driving pleasure” has not been made redundant by any means, the slogan has received a new interpretation in everyday business travel. Furthermore, the performance promise of “efficient dynamics” could undergo a visionary transformation to “efficient dynamics driver” – we will give you your time back!
*[1] Transport Committee Inquiry into High Speed Rail; Glenn Lyons and Steve Atkins, Centre for Transport & Society (CTS) (2011)