The global connected car market is projected to reach USD 191.83 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 18.1%. A recent study by the consultancy firm Deloitte observed that vehicle owners now expect more digitally connected features in their cars in the coming days, and are ready to spend more for the same. As a result of this, India’s connected car market is expected to grow by over 20% in the next few years. There is an unprecedented demand for embedded telematics as car buyers seek higher levels of safety, comfort, and convenience while driving their vehicles.
With the innovations, cars will require a total of 1TB of data storage for it (data) to be analyzed and insights used in an appropriate manner. Additionally, since a fleet of vehicles will collect more data to improve efficiency and give businesses insight into how the fleet is operating, the storage will exceed 1TB in this situation. Based on this, Khalid Wani, Senior Director – Sales, India, Western Digital, shares his insights.
1. Provide an overview of the connected cars industry?
Today, almost every car has some degree of digital features. Cars are transforming into connected vehicles through applications and technologies such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous computers, enhanced infotainment, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and V2X or vehicle-to-X technology where the vehicle communicates with X, with X being another vehicle, roadside infrastructure or cyclists, for example.
With the advancement of automotive technology, cars are transforming into data centers on wheels, making it essential for OEMs to prioritize storage as an integral part of their data strategy. Furthermore, predictions indicate that by 2025, over 30% of newly sold cars globally will support Level 2 autonomy where the vehicle is capable of assisting with both steering and acceleration/deceleration tasks, but the driver is still required to be engaged and responsible for monitoring the driving environment, while this figure is expected to exceed 50% by 2030.
With these new driving experiences, it is estimated that there will be 115 million connected vehicle shipments around the world in 2025, and more than 10 million vehicles will be capable of short-range V2X communication by the same period.
2. Need for a good storage solution in connected cars?
The complexity and data-intensive nature of connected cars require robust storage solutions to ensure seamless operation and optimal performance. Western Digital highlights that automobiles today have more lines of software code than fighter jets, emphasizing the importance of reliable storage. As the mobility industry expands, storage evolution takes a central role as cars demand increased storage capacities for both internal and external applications. Automotive edge storage faces diverse challenges, including the need for functionality in various weather conditions, long-term data retention, and varying performance requirements. Different storage interfaces and technologies such as removable SDTM cards and advanced drives like e.MMC, UFS, and NVMe™ are necessary to meet these demands.
Some of the features in cars that require high-capacity storage are:
- Dashboard recorders: Dashcams play a crucial role in providing essential information to law enforcement and insurance companies, particularly in areas with limited CCTV coverage. They require good storage capacity to store hours of recorded video for better analysis, insurance purposes, and monitoring driving behaviors. With adequate storage, dashcams can provide crucial information to law enforcement, insurance companies, and vehicle owners, contributing to safer roads and accurate documentation of events.
- Navigation and infotainment features have received an update as they are now capable of controlling everything from mobile communications to vehicle setup and 3D navigation. A good storage solution will enable efficient data integration, provide ample storage capacity, ensure real-time responsiveness, facilitate seamless updates, and safeguard sensitive data, ultimately enhancing the functionality, performance, and user experience of these advanced features.
- Telematics and over-the-air: Automotive software is vital to this process as it communicates various environmental emergency alerts to information about a car’s health before an accident. Automotive software also requires constant updates, and telematics allows OEMs to update cars over the air (OTA) through wireless networks. Hence, a good storage solution is essential for automotive software and telematics systems to support OTA updates, store and manage data logs, enable timely emergency alerts, and facilitate data analytics.
- V2V/V2I communications: The Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications power autonomous driving. Through innovation in V2X, information such as traffic light recognition, real-time traffic information, and other important information can be made available to the driver. A well-designed storage solution enhances the functionality and safety of V2X systems, contributing to a safer and more efficient driving experience.
3. What telematics solutions does Western Digital provide?
Western Digital is on a mission to unlock the potential of data by harnessing the possibility to use it. With Flash and HDD franchises, underpinned by advancements in-memory technologies, we create breakthrough innovations and powerful data storage solutions that enable the world to actualize its aspirations. Automotive storage has been an interesting space due to the wide range of requirements. Therefore, solutions are designed and optimized for extreme automotive environments be it extreme temperature or time duration.
Western Digital offers a proven portfolio of automotive-grade products designed for the evolving market requirements of connected and autonomous vehicles. Our storage is largely under two categories – removable storage solutions available in the form of automotive-grade SD cards, and embedded storage solutions which are onboarded to the system. Our iNAND® storage devices are equipped for superior reliability and are designed to support the data demands of the latest infotainment and navigation systems. Storage solutions from Western Digital are curated to support the data requirements of the latest cutting-edge technology and are equipped for exceptional reliability.
4. Future trends in the autonomous vehicles industry?
In the future, the autonomous vehicles industry will see advancements such as improved self-driving technology, expanded autonomous fleets in ride-hailing services, increased vehicle connectivity, and optimized traffic management using data-driven insights. For these advancements to succeed, seamless interaction among complex data systems is crucial. The auto industry has made significant technological advancements to address challenges faced by vehicle owners and passengers. Cities are also adopting technologies to enhance safety and traffic conditions. As the number of sensors and data generated by cars increases, purpose-built storage products and infrastructure like edge data centers are vital for facilitating data exchange. Automakers recognize their role as technology innovators and require advanced storage planning. Western Digital is committed to driving storage technology innovation and supporting the future of autonomous vehicles.
5. What are some of the challenges in the connected car space?
The connected cars industry is still in its early stages and faces several challenges that must be addressed for its growth and success. One crucial challenge is the need for a robust infrastructure, including 5G networks, GPS, and cloud computing, to ensure seamless connectivity and communication for connected cars. However, many countries, especially developing ones, may lack the necessary infrastructure to fully support connected cars.
Another significant challenge is the high cost associated with developing and implementing connected car technologies, which hinders adoption, particularly in developing countries where affordability is a concern. Additionally, user acceptance plays a vital role in the success of connected cars, requiring the industry to address consumer concerns regarding security, data privacy, and reliability to gain widespread acceptance. Overcoming these challenges will be essential in enabling the growth and eventual success of the connected cars industry.
