Is an outdated understanding of vehicle features jeopardising the driving experience?

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New research suggests that certain groups of motorists still believe they can navigate themselves better than dedicated sat-nav systems and park better than in-built autonomous features, but this may be limiting the driving experience and reflect an outdated attitude that fails to recognise just how sophisticated and accurate modern in-car services are. While a new report highlights that some drivers doubt the value of their in-car services such as mapping, other research over the years demonstrates that driving-related connected car features are highly valued daily essentials for the majority of drivers worldwide, simplifying their journeys and enabling a range of desirable in-car functions.

More than a third of British drivers (37%) believe they are better at navigating than their sat-nav, according to a new survey of 2,000 drivers by Heycar. However, this could also demonstrate a widespread lack of understanding of the capabilities of the systems now installed in the latest connected cars or limited access to new connected cars, rather than drivers’ navigation skills, as various other surveys show that a large proportion of drivers are heavily dependent upon their sat-nav to find new places. 

Connected cars have been available for nearly 30 years, with GPS first being introduced to cars in 2000, in-car data SIM cards arriving in 2004 and functionality growing exponentially since then, with 95% of new vehicles sold globally expected to be connected cars by 2030, according to McKinsey. Despite this, two-thirds of drivers are still unfamiliar with what a connected car is and 37% have never even heard of the term.

Interestingly, when informed of what connected features actually are, drivers closely ranked these to vehicle brands in terms of importance. Meanwhile, in-car sat-navs have featured sophisticated technology since the early 2010s, that not only helps drivers to easily navigate to their destination - often accounting for dynamic factors such as traffic conditions and road closures - but also enables them to seamlessly find and pay for essential services such as car parking, fuel and even EV charging from within the vehicle. 

However experienced a driver may be, they will never be able to pre-empt changing traffic conditions and live parking availability to the same level of accuracy as a high-quality in-car system. Despite this capability, it is clear that there needs to be an increase in driver awareness and an attitude change, ideally from increased usage, to ensure that motorists are aware of what technology is present in their vehicles and can get the most from these features.

Addressing Driver Apprehension

Drivers are ‘wary’ of new technology, such as ADAS features and in particular autonomous driving functionality, which is still in its infancy, with 57% of the Heycar respondents believing they are better at parking than autonomous parking systems - increasing to 69% of those over 55 years old.

Motorists are open to using other types of assistance technology to simplify the driving process, however, with a substantial 74% of respondents believing that parking sensors do a better job of judging distances than they can, but some drivers may still take potentially unfounded pride in directing themselves, rather than using sat-nav systems, regardless of whether this results in potentially longer journeys or getting lost en route.

While around a third of UK drivers may believe they’re better navigators than their vehicles, nearly half still rely on sat-navs rather than map reading skills to find their way, suggesting that some drivers may be dismissive of sat-navs altogether rather than being the best at finding their way themselves. Additionally, 92% of respondents said that they use sat-nav frequently, showing that navigation and driving-related features are essential for the majority of motorists.

These rates increase when driving to new destinations, with 40% of drivers relying on their sat-nav when going somewhere they have never visited before. American drivers potentially have an even greater reliance upon sat-nav, with 93% classing themselves as dependent upon GPS to navigate and 83% saying they would quite literally be “lost without it”.

Opinions from drivers around the world

Being able to find parking and charging locations through their in-car sat-nav is even more in demand with drivers elsewhere in the world: 77% of drivers across Europe, the US and Japan - including 84% of EV drivers - would prefer their car to be able to navigate them directly to parking locations, according to our latest Global Driver Survey.

Meanwhile, with the clear global push for Electric Vehicles (EVs), 84% of drivers would be more likely to buy an EV, if the car had in-car EV Charging functionality, enabling them to locate and navigate to chargers and pay for parking and charging through the car’s media system. The Global Driver Survey found that 92% of respondents experience difficulty finding parking, with 18% of US drivers struggling every time they look for parking, highlighting that the value of in-car services goes beyond simply finding a destination, to locating and managing the amenities drivers need when they get there. 

This functionality and the use of high-quality verified data can have a significant impact on drivers’ daily lives, since 37% of EV drivers have failed to locate an EV charging point using their in-car media system at least once a week (13%) or at least once a month (24%). Poor data accuracy in some in-car navigation systems may be one factor putting some drivers off reliance since out-of-date information can result in delays and frustration while behind the wheel or more seriously with EVs, running out of charge completely. This is the core reason for Parkopedia’s ‘obsession’ with accurate and complete data, constantly verifying locations throughout the year.

Motorists around the world significantly value seamless in-car services that take the stress out of driving, with the Global Driver Survey highlighting that 55% of drivers would like automatic guidance to the parking/charging site closest to their destination. More than this, 60% want in-car payment functionality for vehicle-centric services, such as parking, charging, fuelling and tolling, with nearly two-thirds wanting in-car payments for parking alone, further highlighting that drivers want greater functionality and services from their connected vehicles.

The good news for OEMs

With evermore OEMs presenting strategies for monetising the SDV, all of the above should resonate strongly. Not only do a significant proportion of drivers want more sophisticated connected car services, but they are willing to pay for these, too - even more so after initial ‘free’ trial periods or incentive offers where Parkopedia’s own retention data shows a clear commitment to services after their third use or transaction.

Our latest driver survey in China showcased that Chinese drivers have an even greater openness to paying to receive connected services such as premium parking data, with more than 95% of respondents being willing to pay for these features. Drivers’ trust in OEMs as digital payment providers is also growing rapidly, demonstrating that motorists are happy to make payments through their vehicles and more importantly via the OEM themselves. The proportion of drivers who would trust their car manufacturer to process payments tripled from 2019 to 2023, with trust levels among American drivers quadrupling over the same period.

Over the years many drivers may have had frustrating technology experiences in their vehicles - with older vehicles and sat-navs, for example, missing new construction areas or upcoming traffic incidents. However, these viewpoints are quickly becoming outdated due to the high quality and accuracy of today’s connected features. There is building pressure on OEMs to continue to improve the UX on their connected services and better showcase their most highly valued features, minimising hidden menus and unnecessary screens that can potentially hide vital features that would significantly improve the driving experience in their vehicles and showcase how far today’s vehicles have progressed since connected cars were first introduced. Finally, I would urge drivers who may not be familiar with the latest connected car services, built on pinpoint accurate mapping data and verified location base data, to try these services in a modern vehicle demonstrating today’s elevated driving experience, and to take advantage if your OEM provides free trials or incentives during ownership…it may just change your opinion!