According to IHS Automotive forecasts, 55 percent of annual global new vehicle sales in 2020 will be vehicles that are connected. At that time, nearly half of the global fleet of vehicles in operation will be connected.

And the future, it seems, is here, as a recent IHS Automotive global consumer survey called Connected Cars found that advanced technologies and increased connectivity are driving consumer preferences as they consider new vehicles.

IHS Automotive analysts surveyed more than 4,000 vehicle owners in the United States, China, Germany and United Kingdom who intend to buy within the next three years. The goal was to understand which services are must-haves for these buyers, as well as to gain an understanding on how much they would be willing to spend for these services.

This is the fourth annual survey of its kind from IHS Automotive, part of IHS Markit. Manufacturers and technology suppliers can use these findings to help address market needs as they develop new solutions for the global marketplace.

ADAS leads consumer preferences

While advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are most desirable among global survey respondents, consumers don’t exactly want to pay for these advancements. Traditionally packaged within vehicles as part of optional features like leather seats and high-end infotainment systems, consumers expect advanced safety systems to be included in new vehicles at no charge — since electronic stability control systems and pre-charged brakes have become standard equipment on a global scale.

Of the global audience, U.S. consumers are most willing to pay for ADAS features, indicating they would be willing to spend between $427 and $505, depending on the feature. This is in line with current market prices.

Software updates worth paying for, consumers say

A total of 74 percent of consumers who own a vehicle with an infotainment system are willing to pay for software updates that improve or add functionality to their vehicle, and the response was universally global. In the U.S., 89 percent of millennials surveyed indicated they would pay for a software update — and more than 90 percent of millennials in China agreed they would be willing to pay.

Navigation apps most popular for in-car use of smartphones

When using smartphones in vehicles, the most often used apps by consumers while in their vehicle were those intended for navigation, as indicated by 52 percent of respondents globally. Apps for weather were second, with 41 percent of respondents, and 37 percent of consumers reported using both music and news apps while in their vehicles. 

These features are the most popular for embedded displays in audio and navigation systems. Despite a recent resurgence in popularity. Podcasting apps registered very low among the audience surveyed.

Navigation apps are particularly popular in China, with 56 percent of respondents using them, compared to respondents in Germany (55 percent) and in the U.S. (54 percent). In China, ongoing construction of new roads and highways likely makes drivers more dependent on navigation apps. China also diverged from the other regional respondents by being more likely to use music apps (43 percent), social networking (37 percent) and driver’s aids (30 percent) in the car when compared to average.

However, communications apps are much more popular in Germany (33 percent), China (24 percent) and the UK (20 percent) when compared to the U.S. (14 percent).

Autonomy preferences vary; millennials are on board

Nearly one third of survey respondents in all age categories indicated they would ride in a self-driving vehicle and purchase one. Twenty-five percent suggested that while they would ride in one but would not purchase one.

However, millennials are excited about autonomy — when analyzing responses from millennials, more than half are ready to be driven in one and would purchase one; while nearly 75 percent are comfortable with artificial intelligence driving the vehicle.  Recent IHS Automotive forecasts indicate 21 million vehicles with some form of autonomy will be sold in 2035 — and with substantial growth between now and then, it’s possible millennials could make up a large share of the initial customer base for these vehicles.