Editor's letter

Connected vehicles, connected services and connected people

Technology to keep us connected while on the move is also transforming the auto industry in many, many ways. The time in transit is a valuable thing and increasingly, vehicle makers are realising that the technology and its human interface is an important element in what the vehicular experience delivers. There is passive connectivity, too, which can help with safety and sustainability, reduce journey times. There are also opportunities ahead as the traditional auto industry business model is increasingly disrupted and new revenue streams become apparent.

In this issue, we consider various ways in which connectivity and the vehicle interrelate. Even as some OEMs look to gather more of the most valuable parts of the ‘automotive’ value chain in-house, the forces of its vertical disintegration are working strongly in the other direction – for example in software specialists who provide essential building blocks that transcend industrial sectors. The dynamics of the auto industry – and indeed the transport space - are set to become increasingly complex and connectivity, in its many applications, is certain to be at the heart of it.

David Leggett, editor