Here’s the rub on the JD Power study which found that 37 percent don’t want CarPlay in their next vehicle (and 38 percent said they don’t want Android Auto in their next car).
This is how JD Power & Associates explained CarPlay to those in the study:
“Apple CarPlay (an in-vehicle feature that allows devices running Apple iOS to be displayed and controlled via the vehicle’s multimedia system).”
The description for Android Auto was similar….Not exactly poetry, and not easily understood by the consumer.
Given that description, as Dan Jeancola of Sound Advice, FL commented, it may be a good sign that 63 percent said they wanted CarPlay in their next vehicle.
Every dealer we’ve contacted said CarPlay and Android Auto must be demonstrated to be understood by the consumer. And many consumers say, “I’ll take it” upon seeing the demo.
We spoke to the analyst on the study, Kristin Kolodge who agreed that experiencing Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto will be critical to its success. And she noted, “The strength of those two brands is very influential, so we’ll certainly see if the technology becomes more penetrated in the market.”
But she warned that this is the second study that found a “lukewarm” reception to CarPlay, the first being in April. Right now, consumers may not be making the connection to the product and its value, she said.
Then again, consumer sentiment may change once there’s a higher penetration of CarPlay and Android Auto in new cars this year, Kolodge said.
Her own take on the future of CarPlay and Android Auto is it may prove confusing to use for consumers who must toggle between say CarPlay and the car’s own radio. You may not know which button to press for voice control because you don’t know which system you are in at the time, she noted.
Alpine, one of the first suppliers to offer CarPlay, said, “Alpine has been selling the iLX-007 CarPlay receiver since October 2014 and it has received great reaction from users,” according to Steve Crawford, VP and General Manager, Alpine Aftermarket Business Unit. “Our customer research has shown that owners of this product love it and are highly satisfied with it. We feel that CarPlay is a major innovation for the automotive electronics industry and we will continue to evolve it into future products, however CarPlay awareness is still in the growth stage among mainstream consumers.”
Here’s the JD Power study we reported on yesterday, which found the lukewarm reception for CarPlay and Android Auto.
Notwithstanding the debate over statical validity of these research projects, if the percentage of respondents are in fact confused or don’t get it, this is a awesome opportunity for the aftermarket channels to educate, demonstrate the value and close sales. The 12V Specialist is particularly well positioned to attract the iOS and the Android users with parking lot events because the access is typically much easier than the big box locations. It’s a page right out the 80″s retail playbook all over again. We ALL built this industry based on demonstration of new technology to an unaware and uneducated consumer. We made the EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. This is a huge blessing to our industry. Be relevant to todays consumer. Innovate your go to market. Message differently. Capture new customers. Sell YOUR value.
The survey is awful. Were only Apple owner’s asked about CarPlay? If not, of course 37%+ don’t want CarPlay, because they own Android. Same with Android Auto. These surveys are just horrible and do no one any good. Steve Jobs got one thing right: “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
I’m with Ira. In the aftermarket, we cater to enthusiasts. A survey of car buyers and car drivers is the broader market and doesn’t really reflect what we see in our segment.
I believe this report is based on new car customers and not 12V retail customers. At the car dealership getting a car salesman to demonstrate anything is nearly impossible. I am an independent sales rep and I specialize in selling to the expeditor channel. And that in a nutshell is one of the biggest problems at the car dealerships today.