Automotive Application Users to Reach 28 Million by 2015

The global number of automotive application users will grow from just under 1.4 million in 2010 to more than 28 million in 2015, according to a new Research Brief published by ABI Research.

ABI Research practice director Dominique Bonte comments: “Automotive telematics and infotainment applications are quickly gaining momentum, with major automotive players such as Ford and Continental having announced open platforms and application stores. At the same time Nokia’s Terminal Mode and Apple’s iPod Out initiatives aim at integrating smartphones into the car environment. Features include remote control (engine start, door unlock, and alarm), diagnostics, driving behavior monitoring, roadside assistance and multimedia and content streaming.”

The need to monitor, control, and manage the charging of the batteries in electric vehicles is expected to become a strong driver for the uptake of smartphone applications such as the one made available by GM for the Chevrolet Volt.

Solutions based on a connection with the OBD (Onboard Diagnostics)-II vehicle port are also starting to appear, from companies such as Garmin, Devtoaster, Palmer Performance Engineering, Motolingo, and Viper. GPS data are combined with vehicle speed, RPM, fuel consumption, engine coolant temperature, and fuel pressure to simulate dashboards or monitor vehicle performance. A Bluetooth or WLAN OBD-II connector module is required.