As the global automotive industry explores the pros and cons of pursuing a universal infotainment operating systems strategy, manufacturers are wrestling with the implications on consumer relationships with brands, says Fabian Chowanetz, Manager in Automotive Consulting at J.D. Power Europe.

“Until recently, automakers have largely pursued their own digital engagement strategies, creating proprietary operating systems to offer unique experiences across makes and models. It has been a particular area of focus for luxury-vehicle manufacturers that seek to create distinct and elevated value propositions for their high-end brands. By adding more and more functions—partly inspired by consumer electronics and mobile device experiences—those manufacturers have created powerful and feature-rich infotainment systems,” he says.

Consumer reaction to proprietary OEM infotainment systems—especially onboard applications—has been mixed. J.D. Power research has found that approximately one-third of consumers do not even bother to explore more advanced built-in applications.

“Indeed, ‘ease of using built-in apps’ is the lowest-performing attribute in the entertainment and connectivity category in the J.D. Power 2019 Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study. Even the performance of traditional functions, like navigation, have not convinced drivers to embrace onboard systems. In fact, among all index factors included in the TXI study, vehicle owners are least satisfied with onboard navigation. Despite significant improvement of infotainment systems in recent years, the J.D. Power 2019 Initial Quality Study (IQS) found that this category remains the most problematic for new-vehicle owners,” says Chowanetz.

Consumers continue to tell J.D. Power that infotainment systems are difficult to use, especially when compared with the seamless experience they have with their personal mobile digital devices. The automotive industry’s attempt to address the usability challenges with home-grown voice recognition solutions have met similar pushback.

“This has contributed significantly to the popularity of Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto which allow users to operate their phone applications on the infotainment screen. It begs the question of whether proprietary infotainment operating systems are really a core competency into which OEMs should continue to invest, or if universally available operating systems represent a valid alternative for the next generation of vehicles,” he says.

A growing number of manufacturers are moving in the latter direction. Companies like Volvo and its electrified Polestar subsidiary—both in the process of rolling out new electric vehicle (EV) models—have been joined by FCA, GM, Mitsubishi, and the Renault-Nissan Alliance in adopting Google’s Android Automotive operating system to support their future infotainment consoles.

More than half of all drivers prefer using smartphone mirroring to access their phone applications (e.g., Google Maps) over the proprietary on-board infotainment alternatives. Luxury owners have only a slight preference for factory systems. This has opened the door for companies like Google that have not traditionally operated in the automotive industry to pursue the market aggressively.

“Now, the industry is on the verge of going one step further: transferring an existing environment of integrated experiences into vehicles by introducing a universal infotainment system based on technology best known for its presence in the mobile device sector, namely Android Automotive,” Chowanetz says.

From a designer and developer perspective, this not only introduces completely new ways of producing dedicated experiences for automotive users, it also accelerates development cycles, making it easier for users to update and access a growing variety of features and functions. It also removes a major category of cost that goes into the vehicle development process, allowing OEMs to reallocate resources to other areas or apply savings to the bottom line.

While J.D. Power expects to see a greater number of vehicles adopt the Android Automotive platform, many in the industry will remain committed to developing their own proprietary solutions or collaborating with competitors to establish their own universal automotive operating systems for vehicles from multiple brands.

“As the battle unfolds, J.D. Power will closely monitor how consumers react to and utilize new digital features for drivers and the driving experience,” concludes Chowanetz.

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Fabian Chowanetz is a Manager in Automotive Consulting at J.D. Power Europe. His work focuses on in-vehicle HMI and user experience with infotainment systems and digital services.