On 4th June 2019, Cohda Wireless (Australia) and Sasken Technologies (India) announced a strategic technology partnership to accelerate the adoption of V2X (vehicle-to-anything) in the connected vehicles space. The companies plan to utilize cellular or DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) technologies. Cohda Wireless is a global leader in connected autonomous vehicles technologies, whereas Sasken Technologies is a leading product engineering and digital transformation services provider. The partnership will help create a complete TCU (Telematics Control Unit) software reference design that would include Sasken’s TCU software and middleware coupled with Cohda Wireless’ DSRC/C-V2X (cellular V2X) stack and applications.
Fabien Cure, Chief Engineer, Cohda Wireless, believes that the partnership is of global significance as it will drastically improve time-to-market for OEMs, Tier-1s, and government transport authority initiatives. The integration of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in production vehicles is very complex, and the combined experience of Cohda and Sasken would present a unique one-stop solution to the market. Calvin Nichols, VP and Head—Automotive Business, Sasken said that, through this collaboration, they aim to create a best-in-class telematics reference design that will benefit autonomous vehicles, public transportation, and heavy vehicle industries.
Increasing focus on making road transport safer, greener, and smarter will drive the market of connected vehicles in developing countries
Technological advancements in the automotive industry have led to the development of smart vehicles while connected cars have become the stepping stone for future vehicles. This change in focus has created a huge opportunity for automotive and non-automotive players. Also, from the demand side, consumers are more inclined toward connected and semi-autonomous features such as navigation system, live traffic updates, auto park assist, and easy access of e-mails in the vehicle via the internet. With the evolution of connected vehicle, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology has become a key focus area for automakers. This technology allows vehicles to connect with the external environment and get real-time information for the proper functioning of several applications in the vehicle. The advent of this technology can help to develop intelligent transportation system (ITS) in emerging countries such as India and Brazil.
Vehicle to Everything (V2X) Market (2017–2025)
e- Estimated; p- Projected
Source: MarketsandMarkets™ Analysis
MarketsandMarkets™ View Point:
In recent years, connected vehicles have gained unprecedented amount of traction both from the supply side and demand side. The telematics application of automotive vehicle-to-everything technology offers intelligent traffic system, collision avoidance, parking management systems, emergency vehicle notification, and remote monitoring and diagnostics, among other sub-applications. These applications allow the vehicle to receive warnings regarding real-time traffic and alerts related to accidents or other hurdles.
Various countries across the world such as the US, Germany, China, and the UK are adopting vehicle-to-everything technology for improved safety, operational performance, and environmental benefits. However, the implementation of V2X technology requires substantial funding from the government. The European Union countries such as the UK and Germany as well as other countries such as Russia and Brazil plan to deploy services such as emergency call (eCall) and stolen vehicle tracking (SVT). The European Commission regulated a mandate to introduce the emergency call (eCall) feature in all new cars from April 2018 to provide rapid assistance to car drivers involved in a collision anywhere in the European Union. Stolen vehicle tracking (SVT) is a system that combines the feature of automatic vehicle location in individual vehicles with software that collects the fleet data for a comprehensive picture of vehicle locations to help locate stolen vehicles. These mandates are likely to boost the adoption of V2X technology in vehicles.
However, the installation cost of V2X communication systems puts a major burden on consumers. Vehicles available with V2X communication systems cost more than vehicles without these systems. A government mandate on telematics would require old vehicle owners to install V2X communication systems, resulting in extra expenses. The efficient functioning of V2X technology depends on the network capability of telecom providers to enable smooth data exchange between the vehicle and other devices. These telecom providers charge a monthly service fee from the users of IoT-enabled cars. This additional fee (on top of the fee paid by the consumers for availing the Internet service on their phones and at home/work) can hinder the market growth of the V2X technology.
Conclusion:
Increasing research and development in the field of connected vehicle technology has accentuated the need for software and middleware content, which in turn creates opportunities for V2X technology providers to innovate powerful DSRC and cellular communication platforms. Future vehicles will continuously share data with external data centers for the proper functioning of various applications in the vehicle. V2X technology providers, Tier 2, and Tier 3 companies can leverage opportunities in connected vehicle technology to create new revenue pockets.