Vehicle Connectivity Features in Demand, Accelerating Aftermarket Service Opportunities
If you think you’ve seen your share of technological advancements in vehicles in the past 10 years, fasten your seat belt, as there are more on the horizon that will likely emerge with even greater speed. A recent study found that U.S. consumers not only want to own their vehicles (94% of respondents), but what they want their vehicles to do is quickly evolving as well. This is expected to have an impact not only on how vehicles are manufactured, but also their service requirements when repairs are needed.
The Mobility Study, commissioned by international automotive supplier Continental (www.conti-online.com), uncovered strong growth in personal mobility preferences that are challenging the automotive industry to increase vehicle autonomy and connectivity features.
In addition, the study found that 91% of 16- to 25-year-olds place a high importance on consumer electronic devices. Industry experts anticipate 65 million millennials will purchase vehicles in the next five years. As a result, it will be incumbent upon the automotive industry to keep up with the technology advancements and requirements of that generation, and to offer a wider range of network-enabled services in its vehicles.
Additionally, 59% of all respondents were interested in intelligent vehicle technology to improve traffic control, and 57% desired cloud-based connectivity features.
What does this mean to you?
- Make training a vital part of your repair arsenal to stay ahead of the technology curve, and then leverage it to your advantage to garner new service business — especially as it relates to intelligent vehicles and their connectivity features.
- Make the case to customers that your shop is the one for all of their vehicle service needs, including emerging technologies, like advanced driver-assistance systems, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warnings.
