Do You Want to Remotely Activate Your Vehicle?

According to AutoPacific’s latest Feature Attribute Demand Study, 64% of new vehicle buyers under the age of 40 want remote connectivity in their next vehicle.

From Hyundai to Lamborghini, vehicle owners have the ability to easily perform basic functions like locking and unlocking, starting an engine, or activating heated seats on a cold winter morning. Some apps take it a step further in offering convenient remote dealership maintenance scheduling, paying a monthly new vehicle loan, and even establishing geofencing or curfew alerts for adolescent drivers.

Results show that the younger the new vehicle buyer, the stronger the demand for remote connectivity, with 65% of new vehicle buyers under age 30 showing a desire and 64% between 31 and 39 years old. As expected, the demand drops in steps as the age brackets for new vehicle buyers climb. Only 35% of buyers 60 to 69 years old, and a mere 28% over the age of 70 desire this level of connectivity with their new vehicle.

Source: AutoPacific Future Attribute Demand Study

Alexa, Start My Car at 7:00 AM

From the comfort of one’s living room or conference room to being on a hike at a national park’s trailhead, the methods by which consumers tap into remote connectivity continue to expand. 97% of surveyed new vehicle buyers that voiced demand for wanting remote connectivity to their vehicle would prefer to use a smartphone for doing so; 40% would opt to use a smartwatch. At-home “smart speakers,” specifically Amazon’s Echo (Alexa), get 30% preference.

Real-World Impact

To gauge effectiveness of various manufactures’ mobile apps, AutoPacific polled a group of current vehicle owners that fall under the Generation Y and Generation Z umbrellas on how having access to remote connectivity contributes to everyday life:

“I use it (MySubaru app) daily in the winter and on hot days in the summer to star my car. The lock and unlock comes in handy when needed, but I don’t use it every day” -Adam, 37

“I turn on the climate control on colder mornings in my 2014 Nissan Leaf.”-Colton, 28

“I use it (FordPass app) to lock and unlock my Ford Escape when I can’t remember if I did it or not” -Emily, 37

“I only check the charging status if I'm on the road at a public charger. At home I never look at it (Tesla app) because it fills up overnight and is good to go. I also use it in the morning to warm up the car.” -Chris, 38

These responses reflect much of what AutoPacific’s Feature Attribute Demand Study revealed about specific remote functionality. For example, 79% of respondents who want remote connectivity with their vehicle would utilize it for a remote start function. 75% would use remote connectivity to lock or unlock their vehicle’s doors, while 72% would choose to pull out their smartphone or glance at their smartwatch to locate their vehicle in say, an overcrowded parking lot.