Engineering Solutions for Connected Car Services

Some future trends in the automotive industry related to connectivity and smart cars include:

• an increased use of AI and machine learning,
• the expansion of V2X communication,
• the development of autonomous and semi-autonomous driving technology,
• the growth of the electric vehicle market,
• a focus on software-defined vehicles,
• the customisation and personalisation of the in-vehicle user experience.

Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything technology is a cellular-based communication protocol that allows vehicles to communicate with infrastructure, pedestrians and other vehicles. It differs from other types of automotive communication technologies, such as DSRC and LTE-CAT M1, which are short-range wireless communication protocols.

Connected car engineering requires extensive expertise in wireless communication protocols, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analytics. To enable seamless connectivity between the vehicle and its external environment, engineers must ensure data security between the car and the cloud while considering power consumption, heat dissipation, size limitations, and other factors.

Emerging technologies such as 5G and edge computing are expected to significantly improve automotive connectivity by empowering fast and dependable communication between vehicles and other devices. The high bandwidth and low latency of 5G networks will allow real-time data transfer. Meanwhile, edge computing will enable data processing closer to the source, thereby improving responsiveness and reducing latency.

One of the main privacy concerns related to connected car engineering solutions is the potential for unauthorised access to personal data, such as location information and driving behaviour. Manufacturers are implementing security measures such as encryption, firewalls, and intrusion detection features to address these concerns. Additionally, regulations, such as the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California's Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provide guidelines for handling personal data in connected cars.