February 1st, 2024, Clifton Mark
Brits have probably always talked to their cars (“please start,” “why now?” for example). With the rise of digital voice assistants, cars are starting to talk back. With brands from Mini to Mercedes offering integrated AI-powered voice-assistants in new cars, the age of KITT has arrived. The rise of smart phones has accustomed consumers to interacting with devices by voice; how do they hope to do so with their cars?
Over a third (35%) of British consumers have already used a voice assistant in a car, with 9% saying they do so often. Even more (38%) say they’re interested in having one in their next vehicle.
Should carmakers adopt existing voice assistants or develop their own?
As car manufacturers strive to offer the best voice assistants, they must decide whether to build a system of their own, as Mini and Mercedes have done, or to integrate an existing voice assistant. Hyundai, Audi and Chevrolet, for example, all offer integration with Amazon Alexa.
There are advantages to either strategy. Propriety assistants offer solid integration with in-car technology, a unique user experience and control over user data. On the other hand, adopting an existing voice assistant offers familiarity. It’s one less user interface they need to learn. Existing assistants like Alexa also offer integration with other services used at home or on a smartphone.
In this case, consumers clearly prefer familiarity. The majority (55%) say they’d prefer to use an existing assistant (Alexa, Siri, etc.) and another fifth (21%) say they’d prefer to simply use the voice assistant on their existing device connected to their vehicle rather than integrating it within the vehicle itself. This leaves only 13% who say they’d prefer a manufacturer-specific voice assistant.
Voice-powered windshield wipers or AI-concierge?
How will drivers use these new technologies? In some ways, the voice assistants just provide an alternative to common button controls: they can control the radio, temperature, locks and so on. But voice assistants can also perform more complex tasks, such as providing directions, weather reports and web search results. They can even act as a kind of automotive concierge, recommending and placing orders at restaurants and stores.
According to respondents, the most useful features of voice assistants are those that would otherwise tie up their eyes and hands, both essential for safe driving. The most common use case, envisioned by Britons, is getting directions. Four out of five Britons (80%) say that a voice assistant would be useful by telling how to get where they’re going.
Hands-free calling, an already familiar feature, is rated as useful by 76% of respondents. Most consumers also think that controlling the radio (73%) and other systems such as temperature and windshield wipers (54%) by voice would be useful.
Two-thirds (66%) would use the assistant to retrieve information about the local area, perhaps by finding nearby restaurants or petrol stations. However, only 10% would use the assistant to actually place orders at these locations.
While many are interested in the potential of new voice assistants, will this influence their purchase decisions? According to this poll, 34% say they’ll be influence “somewhat” or “a great deal” with another 33% saying they’ll be influenced a little. In a competitive auto marketplace, carmakers would do well to learn as much as they can about consumer preferences in this area.
Explore our living data – for free
Discover more Automotive content here
Want to run your own research? Run a survey now
Make smarter business decisions with better intelligence. Understand exactly what your audience is thinking by leveraging our panel of 20 million+ members. Speak with us today.