Survey statement Some buyers are willing to pay subscriptions for features in their cars

Whether you like it or not, subscription-based media features Coming. No mistakes, It is a bad idea pay to unlock a feature already built into your vehicle. But the automakers are in the business to make money, and they don’t care. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to open your wallet for these features. But according to a survey, people are willing to open their wallets for these features because auto news report.

ONE learn conducted by S&P Global Mobility surveyed nearly 8,000 participants. A small subset of those 8,000 —4,500 — used a trial period or experienced an existing subscription on a vehicle from 2016 or later. More than 82 percent of these people said they “definitely or might consider purchasing subscription-based services when purchasing new vehicles in the future.” A majority of those with an existing subscription said they would renew with another 85% saying they would tell their friends and family about the service.

The sheer number of people opening subscriptions may surprise some. But it all really comes down to the fact that S&P senior technical research analyst Yanina Mills explain. “Consumers welcome the idea of ​​a subscription because it allows them to be exposed to features or technology they may not have had in the past.” But this exposure means that automakers and dealers must educate and inform consumers about these things. Good luck with that.

According to S&P Global Mobility, the trick for automakers is to get consumers in touch in the first place. More than 1 in 4 respondents said they were not aware that connection services were available or that agents did not provide them.

This could also turn out to be a win for GM, who has to contend with backlash about his decision to remove Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in a future EV for its own native UI. If the company can create a great new technology experience, it can win customers enough to get them to open their wallets. But we all know that collecting customer data is actually more important as an S&P shown.

…after all, 89% of existing connected service subscribers re-subscribe, so the potential modest increase in subscriptions isn’t the main reason GM is moving to native. GM sees opportunity in consumer usage data.

GM cannot get consumer usage data from the infotainment system if the user is only connecting via third-party apps like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Having this data will become one of the competitive advantages of OEMs.

But in the end, people really see that they’re getting something of value. Data from the survey shows that people don’t want to pay for things they won’t use often. They are also willing to subscribe to safety features; only 30 percent of respondents says they’re willing to sign up for comfort features like heated seats.