In-car technology and connected car services have shifted from being a minor buying consideration, to one of the key factors affecting which vehicle drivers choose, in particular for younger generations of vehicle buyers, who more typically value technology ahead of all other vehicle specs and features. Usability and seamless integration are two core elements that must be addressed to ensure that connected services offer real value to drivers - without being distracting or causing a safety risk.
New cars are becoming increasingly complex, both in terms of their engineering and in-car technology with drivers around the world now seeking ever more sophisticated media systems and connected car services to complement their journeys. OEMs that fail to intelligently integrate connected services risk frustrating their customers and potentially distracting them behind the wheel, leading to safety concerns.
Parkopedia and MEAA (Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America) are working together to ensure maximum in-car functionality and seamless usability of parking and charging services including reservations and in-car payments. This ensures the greatest possible safety, security and convenience features, providing an improved user experience and contributing to increased customer loyalty.
Drivers expect seamless connected car services
More than half of drivers worldwide want automatic guidance to the parking or charging location closest to their destination and to be automatically directed to locations with likely availability, according to the latest Parkopedia Global Driver Survey. Furthermore, 59% of EV buyers, want to use more digital connectivity services in the future, according to the 2024 McKinsey Mobility Future Pulse report.
Meanwhile, 55% of Chinese drivers, plus 39% of Germans and 38% of Americans would even switch car brands to gain better connectivity, according to a McKinsey report. Drivers have now made it clear they want a broad range of connected car services, but these must be correctly integrated to ensure they operate seamlessly and contribute to improved safety and convenience.
Current touchscreen media systems can be distracting and offer poor usability
A significant proportion of new cars feature tablet-style touchscreen media systems and though these may appeal to drivers while parked up in the showroom, poor usability and high potential distraction levels not only present the risk of increased driver stress but can cause safety issues, since distracted drivers are more likely to have accidents behind the wheel.
This does not have to be the case, though, if OEMs intelligently lay out their services so that drivers can effortlessly access key driving-related features while on the move. This is why connected car services experts Parkopedia and Mitsubishi subsidiary MEAA are working together to ensure that drivers are able to access sophisticated parking, charging and location data and in-car functionality without the drivers’ attention being unduly taken from the road. MEAA has proactively reduced the number of interactions needed for many functions and integrated voice and motion commands where possible, to support this.
This partnership sees Parkopedia maximising driver convenience, by providing high-quality parking data, reservations and seamless in-car payments with time-saving features like Single Sign-On as part of MEAA’s overall in-car safety and convenience services for automakers.
Complex in-car services made simple
Mitsubishi’s integrations are designed to provide seamless functionality while minimising distraction. One way this has been achieved is through both companies' expertise in voice AI, which uses Parkopedia data to accept simple voice prompts for vehicle-centric services to minimise the amount of time drivers spend interacting with a touchscreen while driving, reducing distraction.
New vehicles are now packed with autonomous safety systems and other technology to reduce the likelihood of crashes. However, it’s the in-car interfaces that have the greatest scope to improve safety, as these now offer an abundance of functionality that poorly designed UX can take the driver’s attention from the road for many crucial seconds at a time.
Mitsubishi’s Jabiru high-awareness vehicle technology platform provides a next-generation in-cabin experience and is designed to be operated with less driver interaction. This setup combines software, hardware and a tailored user experience to offer a complete cockpit solution that seamlessly assists the driver in both the process of driving, and completing in-car functions.
Next-generation driver and passenger monitoring
This platform includes a driver-facing camera to monitor the driver’s movement and condition, plus additional cameras, thermal cameras and interior radar sensors that can watch over passengers in all three rows of seats. Interior cameras are able to assess seat occupancy and body temperature, monitoring driver and passenger health and movement, with the driver’s eyes and head being constantly monitored to determine distraction, stress and drowsiness levels. The cameras can even determine whether seatbelts are being worn and if the driver is talking on a handheld phone.
The combination of high-tech cameras, sensors and microphones enables a more user-friendly and intuitive experience, while the interface is designed to have customisable widgets that minimise the number of clicks needed, enabling single-tap access for applications, vehicle features and operator controls. This applies to navigation, media, heating/ventilation, volume, phone and parking options. Additionally, ‘Focus Mode’ limits distractions further, restricting drivers to the most used in-car apps, such as navigation, media and heating/ventilation.
Parkopedia is also contributing by reducing distractions through its Park and Pay feature, which removes the need to track down payment machines, ensuring that drivers can pay full attention to finding a suitable parking space with automated payments managed through their vehicle.
Boosting safety with Augmented Reality displays
Vehicles can encourage safety while on the move, not only through encouraging responsible driving, but by giving the driver the best possible understanding of the road ahead. The Mitsubishi Jabiru system provides subtle nudges to the driver to inform them when they’re speeding, for instance, by changing the interior lighting colour, plus maps out the road ahead using Augmented Reality technology.
Thanks to an intelligent set-up of road-facing cameras and lasers, Mitsubishi’s system can monitor the condition of the road ahead of the vehicle and display grip levels, highlighting slippery roads and unseen black ice, with grip and slip levels shown onscreen, up to 25m ahead of the vehicle. Additionally, the system can also highlight potential hazards to the driver - including traffic cones, potholes, stop signs and pedestrians. In time, other connected vehicles will be able to communicate the conditions around them, helping vehicles to gauge conditions further ahead.
Future of connected car services: combining complex tasks into a single prompt
In the past, connected car services involved vehicles being able to address specific tasks in specific circumstances. The Jabiru platform, however, offers scope for combining complex multi-faceted tasks into one prompt, simplifying the process for the driver and limiting the level of input needed to complete these, heightening convenience while reducing distraction in the process.
A combined prompt could include asking the car to navigate to a specific location, stopping to collect a coffee en route and to fill up with fuel, plus reserving and paying for parking at the most convenient location near to the final destination. The system is designed to be as intuitive as possible and to also reduce the driver’s cognitive load, enabling them to focus on the task of driving.
60% of European new cars are already connected vehicles with that figure expected to hit 95% globally by 2030. With such a high proportion of new vehicles including connected services, the quality of services offered is becoming increasingly important to drivers. OEMs that offer connected services or apps that lack functionality or are built on poor-quality location data risk losing a significant proportion of their customers to other brands. Meanwhile, those who offer high-quality integrated connected services and provide these with intuitive UX that improves safety and convenience could become indispensable to their customers in their everyday lives.