Auto Technology

The local paper ran a story yesterday on some data that was gathered by JD Power regarding technology in cars; what technology we are using and how we use it. JD Power stated, go figure, that we are often paying for technology in cars that we don’t use; citing that at least 20% of purchasers use less than ½ of the technology features available in the vehicle.

JD Power also drew a conclusion out of this study, that the technology features that are most used in cars are those that must be built into the cars for them to operate. Makes sense: you wouldn’t expect your smart-phone to be your backup sensor or adaptive cruise control. But on the other hand who of us hasn’t used our smartphones for maps or directions? The study also noted that if a purchaser wasn’t given a walk-through of the features by the delivering dealer, they were much less likely to use them. Presumably either unable or unwilling to take the time to learn how to use them.

In this same article manufacturers quipped that they have been giving consumers what they wanted. Really? Having been in automotive product focus groups before I’ve seen how the scripts run…. “Would you prefer your ham sandwich be topped with mayo or mustard”? Hold the train. When did I say I wanted a ham sandwich in the first place? These groups seem formed to document reassuring feedback on narrow topics rather than truly probe consumer desires.

From all the info in this study I draw my own conclusion, which is: as a consumer, once you have a technology available to you which meets your needs, you won’t really go out of your way looking for another solution. While necessity may no longer be the mother of invention, it remains the mother of adoption

However if you are in automotive product engineering, marketing or “Infotainment” development, that is not a pill you can readily swallow. You are in a position where you have to come up with newer, better and more all the time. Company profits and your job depend on this. And if you come up with something which gathers dust rather than market interest, it seems you have the choice of either scrapping the idea or figuring out a way to sell the consumer on it. I am afraid marketing departments spend much of their time on the second approach.

And there you have it. Consumers want transportation and safety, but a manufacturer’s principal concern is profits. You’ll get your safety, but the more doodads they can load a product down with the more they can sell it for. So you’ll get your hands-free blue tooth phone interface, but you are going to get it with a myriad of other bells and whistles that you will never use. 

   

© 2015 D.W. Williams