Research from Parks Associates shows 33% of U.S. broadband households are highly interested in connected-car features that include the ability to listen to online music/audio. Only 16% are very interested in online video features for passengers, but in both instances, interest skews strongly toward smartphone owners.
One-third of car owners, and over 50% of luxury car owners, now have connected-car capabilities, and most of them use the features on at least a monthly basis. The ability to play MP3 files on the car stereo is most common by far, but communication features such as the ability to listen to texts/email read aloud are becoming more popular. Twenty percent of U.S. vehicle owners in broadband households have this feature.
The rapid growth in smartphone adoption combined with the development of a robust app industry has educated consumers on the benefits and possibilities of in-car connectivity. Smartphone owners are far more likely to value connected car capabilities, and roughly three-quarters of those valuing connected car capabilities have smartphones.
