Most car makers nowadays are focused on in-car connectivity and autonomous driving technology, in addition to safety technologies, since they are considered to be the key aspects that will shape the future of the auto industry. In order to make these technologies widely available as soon as possible, a strong legislative and regulatory action is needed, and that’s exactly what a newly formed coalition aims to achieve.
A group of representatives from the auto industry and some of the world’s largest tech companies have created the Smart Transportation Innovation Coalition, which is intended to help make policymakers realize the benefits of autonomous vehicle and connected car technologies, so that they can accelerate the process of making them mainstream. The coalition is comprised of the following groups: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM); Association of Global Automakers, which primarily represents Asian manufacturers; National Automobile Dealers Association; Information Technology Industry Council, a trade group representing nearly 60 technology firms including Apple, Google, Intel and Microsoft; Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, which represents auto suppliers; Intelligent Transportation Society of America; and Intelligent Car Coalition.
Given that this coalition brings together some of the most important auto industry groups and almost all tech companies that have significant presence in cars, providing in-car infotainment and vehicle safety solutions, it’s clear that automakers are betting heavily on driverless vehicles and in-car connectivity. They have decided to prompt the government to address the legislative issues that could potentially hold back further development of these technologies, and create a regulatory framework before the technologies become commercially available.
“What we’re seeing is different players engaging in the same space now, and at the end of the day, we have the same perspective: that technology has some tremendous societal benefits,” said Mitch Bainwol, CEO of the AAM.
One very important challenge that this coalition wants to address is to help lawmakers create a set of rules on data privacy and how data collected by connected cars will be stored and used. Potential invasion of privacy is a big concern when talking about connected cars, with consumers worrying that automakers could share their data with authorities or with third-party companies, such as insurers or advertising agencies. The main dilemma regarding data privacy that the coalition and policymakers are expected to try to solve together is whether consumers should be given the right to refuse giving consent to automakers to collect their data, which various groups representing the industry didn’t want to agree to in the past.
Finally, the Smart Transportation Innovation Coalition will try to convince policymakers that connected-car band should not be shared with non-automotive companies unless they prove that they can use it without “interfering with important safety communications between cars”, as the coalition said in a press release.