Frost & Sullivan: Telematics and Connected Services Offer Short Term Solution to Range Anxiety

LONDON – 10 May, 2010 – A big challenge which has to be overcome to ensure mass adoption of electric vehicles is range anxiety. “Aware that telematics and connected services can help diffuse negative perceptions, telematics hardware and service providers are starting to actively engage in this market by providing highly customizable OEM-specific connected services packages,” explains Frost & Sullivan Programme Manager, Praveen Chandrasekar, in a new article entitled: Telematics and Connected Services Play a Vital Role in Ensuring an Enhanced Ownership Experience of an EV.

This effort was spearheaded by Continental, the first supplier to partner with Better Place to design and develop smart navigation head units for the Renault Fluence EV. Several others have now followed suit, reinstating the growing commitment of suppliers to provide value added services to the emerging EV space. Most recently, Hitachi and Airbiquity have joined forces to provide connected services based on a communication unit and related to charge monitoring and recharging services. Ford and Microsoft have also teamed up to create Hohm, a software package that monitors charging patterns and suggests recharge times based on electricity rates and demand on the grid. Debuting in the Ford Focus EV, Holm will facilitate smarter energy management and hassle free EV ownership experience.

Telematics also stands to gain from the new business models, like leasing, being promoted by OEMs to abate the high initial investment into an EV. “The leasing model, for example, currently offered by Renault and Nissan, presents an ideal opportunity for service subscription costs to be bundled along with the battery and energy subscription packages,” notes Chandrasekar. “This will leave the driver with a single bill, which will account for a host of connected telematics services provided including locating charging stations, booking charging stations, smart charging and a few convenience features built-in like interior pre-conditioning.”

To learn more about Frost & Sullivan’s extensive research in this area, or to obtain additional details about this article, please contact Monika Kwiecinska, Corporate Communications, at monika.kwiecinska@frost.com with your full contact details.

Electric Vehicles Unplugged 2010: taking place at the House of Lords and at the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders in London on June 22 - 23, will bring together key decision makers including Government, OEMs, Supplier Infrastructure companies and Major Fleet Managers, to provide insights into the structure of new business models and their implications for industry stakeholders. This unique workshop will also allow attendees to understand the position that key industry players are taking towards infrastructure and to debate the pros and cons of different solutions in development across Europe. If you are interested in joining us at this event, whether as a sponsor or an attendee, please contact Monika Kwiecinska, Corporate Communications for Frost & Sullivan in Europe, at monika.kwiecinska@frost.com. For more information you can also visithttp://www.frost.com/evw10

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