IoT for automotive purposes can be best understood by the rise of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications, which encompasses the communication systems that are facilitating interaction between vehicles, infrastructure and pedestrians, with the aim being to improve road safety, traffic management and enhance the driving experience.
What are V2X communications?
V2X communications, simply put, relate to the communications between a vehicle and another entity, whether this is another vehicle, a pedestrian or infrastructure like road signs. These communications systems leverage IoT technologies such as sensors, wireless communications and data analytics to exchange information.
In vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, the kind of information being exchanged is about speed, position and direction, which reduces the risk of collisions. Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication oversees the interaction between vehicles and traffic lights, road signs and toll booths. Vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication relates to the ability for vehicles to detect and communicate with pedestrians using their smartphones or other connected devices.
IoT forms the backbone of V2X communication. By integrating sensors and devices in vehicles and infrastructure, they can “talk” to one another and therefore allow for large amounts of data to be collected and analysed.
5G-V2X
The automotive industry has proved a particularly profitable vertical within IoT as vehicle manufacturers have been keen to take the benefits of 5G connectivity reaped in consumer electronics and apply it to cars. 5G is playing a pivotal role in ensuring cars have the connectivity they need to communicate.
5G technology ensures the car is connected at all times, whether this is, for example, between vehicle to vehicle, vehicle to device, or vehicle to infrastructure. The applications that 5G is supporting include the advent of autonomous vehicles, or self-driving cars, that need information on what is happening around them in order to drive and park safely; as well as for smart charging and tracking purposes.
A combination of 5G technology with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has opened the door to greater possibilities, such as predictive maintenance, which monitors the car’s condition at all times and can alert the driver to a potential fault, and digital twin technology.
The establishment of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) in September 2016 demonstrated the need for collaboration between companies from the automotive, technology and telecommunications industries to work towards the same goal; bringing smarter, safer and sustainable services and solutions.
In May 2024, a recently published annual report from 5GAA showed that it was continuing to expand its reach in facilitating V2X deployment across different regions, with a dedicated taskforce set up for India. In the foreword, Christoph Voigt, Chairman of the 5GAA board said that the association had made “significant strides” in advancing Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X), citing a letter put together by European car manufacturers representing 70% of the market that called for the widespread adoption of 5G-V2X. Signatories included Audi, BMW and Ford.
Challenges facing V2X
With all of this said, the deployment of V2X communications faces its own challenges. Cybersecurity and data privacy concerns are prevalent, as adding vehicle communications to the growing number of IoT devices means presenting a larger attack surface for cyber criminals to exploit. Because these cars have been designed to collect extensive amounts of data, this includes diagnostics, location data and driving behaviours, all of which is highly sensitive data that needs to be protected.
Additionally, a collaboration between KPN IoT and Freeeway that saw the introduction of an integrated IoT monetisation platform targeted at the automotive industry, warned that car manufacturers needed new monetisation options to generate new revenue streams as subsidising connectivity services was not a “sustainable, long-term option”. The solution in question merged Freeeway’s Monetisation Hub with M2M connectivity provided by KPN IoT, to address challenges faced by the highly regulated EU market to achieve faster market entry.
“The way cars are used is changing. The needs of car owners go far beyond performance and specifications,” explained Harald Fuchs, CEO Freeeway in the announcement. “Car manufacturers have been subsidising connectivity services, but that is simply not a sustainable long-term option for them. They need new monetisation options. We see a huge opportunity for and interest in our platform that helps car manufacturers to do exactly that, now and in the future.”
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