Automakers spend billions on technology that many consumers do not use

To think of it, there are so many features in a modern car that an owner of a car in India or elsewhere around the world does not really use. Everybody knows there is a safety airbag; well no body wishes to use that! But in an accident they do get deployed and saves your life. In India, for example we know it is mandatory for all cars to come with safety belts both for the front and rear passengers but seldom do people us them. The common man hates it, the cops do not wear it, the emergency service people do not like to wear them, and perhaps every second Indian in the country does not wear them. Maybe they are not aware of their critical utilities! But that is a different story and needs separate attention.

But around the world in some of the developed countries too, people driving cars and light vehicles are not aware about the technologies embedded in their vehicles and hence do not use them ever. Automakers are investing billions of dollars to put technologies in their cars and light trucks that are not being used by many of the owners of those vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2015 Driver Interactive Vehicle Experience (DrIVE) Report.

The 2015 DrIVE Report measures driver experiences with in-vehicle technology features during the first 90 days of ownership.

The report finds that at least 20 pc of new-vehicle owners have never used 16 of the 33 technology features measured. The five features owners most commonly report that they “never use” are in-vehicle concierge (43pc); mobile routers (38pc); automatic parking systems (35pc); head-up display (33pc); and built-in apps (32pc).

There are 14 technology features that 20 pc or more of owners do not want in their next vehicle, including Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto, in-vehicle concierge services and in-vehicle voice texting.  Among Gen Y, the number of features unwanted by at least 20 pc of owners increases to 23, specifically technologies related to entertainment and connectivity systems.

“In many cases, owners simply prefer to use their smartphone or tablet because it meets their needs; they’re familiar with the device and it’s accurate,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction & HMI research at J.D. Power. “In-vehicle connectivity technology that’s not used results in millions of dollars of lost value for both consumers and the manufacturers,” stated Kolodge.

Among all owners, the most frequently cited reasons for not wanting a specific technology feature in their next vehicle are “did not find it useful” in their current vehicle and the technology “came as part of a package on my current vehicle and I did not want it.”

In addition, owners who say their dealer did not explain the feature have a higher likelihood of never using the technology. Furthermore, features that are not activated when the vehicle is delivered often result in the owner not even knowing they have the technology in their new vehicle.

Kolodge noted that the technologies owners most often want are those that enhance the driving experience and safety, which are only available as a built-in feature rather than via an external device. In-vehicle technologies that most owners do want include vehicle health diagnostics, blind-spot warning and detection, and adaptive cruise control.

“The first 30 days are critical. That first-time experience with the technology is the make-it-or-break-it stage,” said Kolodge. “Automakers need to get it right the first time, or owners will simply use their own mobile device instead of the in-vehicle technology.”