- In a recent global survey of 4,990 drivers, including 1,723 Chinese drivers, parking availability information has now surpassed traffic information as the most important connected car service
- Drivers are paying significantly more attention to connected car features that support checking parking availability, reserving parking spaces and paying for parking
- 66% of the Chinese drivers surveyed identified in-car parking information as the most valuable connected car service
- Younger Chinese drivers from age 18-24 show strong demand for in-vehicle payment features, with the Chinese in-vehicle payment market expected to grow at 14.5% CAGR to 2030
5 May 2023 - Shanghai, China
Determining the availability of parking near a destination has become the most requested connected car service by drivers worldwide, according to a new survey carried out by TechInsights. The report evaluated 28 connected car services by inviting 4,990 drivers worldwide, including 1,723 Chinese drivers, to rank their interest in each in-vehicle service.
The survey results show that the most popular in-vehicle features among Chinese drivers include assessing the availability of parking near their destination, route optimisation and traffic conditions, and weather conditions that may impact the route. Among these, in-car parking information had a probability of choice for 66% of Chinese drivers surveyed as the most valuable connected car service. Filtering by vehicle brand, it was also revealed that owners of mid to high-priced vehicles request parking information features more than owners of lower-priced vehicles. The survey also found that drivers in China with larger vehicles (Large and SUV) rank reserving a parking space before arriving at their destination as the fifth most important feature, while smaller vehicle drivers expectedly rank it lower in priority, however, across all vehicle sizes, drivers increasingly expect parking space availability to be seamlessly integrated into the in-vehicle navigation process.
Unlike the US and Western European drivers surveyed, drivers in China are generally well aligned on what the most important use cases are when age is considered. The top two features requested by Chinese drivers in all age groups are: finding an available parking space near their destination and automatically predicting and navigating frequently travelled routes. In addition, for many younger Chinese drivers, in-vehicle payments have gone from an "optional" feature to a "strong” need. The in-vehicle payment market in China is expected to see 14.5% CAGR growth to 2030 - indicating that Chinese drivers have an increased level of trust in paying through their vehicles and want maximum convenience and a seamless user experience. Overall, interest in payment tasks across all demographics continues to increase year on year.
The report also highlighted that new in-vehicle features such as in-car gaming, email editing and sending, social media integration and trip management are generally low priority in China and the rest of the world even though a growing number of connected cars are now equipped with these features.
In response to this latest research report, Neil Wu, Parkopedia China Business Development Manager, said: “China has a deficit of around 80 million parking spaces, which makes finding a space challenging in major cities across the country. Therefore, it is not surprising that Chinese drivers flagged parking availability information as their top connected car priority in the survey. Despite this, automakers in China are still failing to meet driver demand with their connected car offerings.”
“In Parkopedia’s latest China Driver Survey, connected car services in general were received positively by the majority of drivers whose vehicles had them, however, 1 in 7 Chinese motorists were not even aware whether their car includes parking information services. Consequently, OEMs need to ensure they provide the right range of connected car services to address driver demand and better communicate the features that are fitted to their vehicles to ensure motorists are maximising featured technology and services that enhance journeys and increase brand loyalty.”
