In our survey of European car owners earlier this year, we saw solid interest in a selection of services that can or will be available to them, made possible by data from their vehicles. We also saw a transparency gap that OEMs must close if they want to facilitate growth in the connected car data ecosystem.
We also found that transparency is very important to consumers when they decide whether to share their data: Sixty percent of our 2,512 survey respondents said it’s very important to be told exactly what data is being collected, how it is being used, and by whom. And we were surprised to learn that many consumers want to actually see their vehicle data for themselves – often.
Seventy-five of respondents say they are interested in seeing the vehicle data that has been captured. This percentage remained similar across genders, age groups, and countries, with no statistically significant differences.
Of those who are interested, 63% want to do so frequently, at least two or three times a month; this equates to 47% of all car owners. Close to 30% of the “interested” group say they would access car data at least once a week! We see this as a very clear directive regarding data transparency.
What OEMs Need to Do
The right to access is a basic right under the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and OEMs need to deliver this to car owners and drivers in the most convenient ways possible. According to our survey respondents, this is the infotainment system, selected by 27% as their most preferred method of communication when it comes to car data collection practices. We hope that major transparency initiatives are underway to make vehicle data accessible and to visualize it in a way that makes sense to consumers.
For more insights about European car owners, be sure to read our full survey report.
Architected for security and privacy by design, Otonomo’s platform complies with even the most stringent data privacy regulations including GDPR and CCPA, ensuring all parties are protected and companies remain compliant across multiple geographies.
