The connected car and smart home markets are both at an early stage of development, but in many ways they have been growing in parallel. Both markets are enabled by the falling costs of sensors, networking technologies and data, as well as by expanded cloud services, the mass penetration of smartphones, and consumer demand for the connected lifestyle.
In 2015, these ecosystems are beginning to converge, with use cases such as remote home controls, entertainment on the go, and home energy management emerging at the intersection.
U.S. vehicle owners living in broadband households reported using a variety of connected features in their vehicles, and many expressed interest in car-to-home crossover features, in a first-quarter 2015 consumer survey conducted by Parks Associates.
Parks Associates tested emerging connected vehicle features, including several scenarios which overlap the smart home and connected car markets:
Automatic away mode for the home. The car and home communicate so that when the consumer is leaving or coming home, lights, locks, thermostat, etc., automatically turn on and off or adjust to the appropriate setting.
Home entertainment on the go. Passengers in the car can access the same TV shows, movies, games, photos and computer files that the consumer has at home, including programs from pay-TV services.
Parks Associates also presented owners of plug-in hybrid or electric cars with two connected car-smart home scenarios specific to plug-in vehicles:
Optimum recharging of electric cars. The plug-in vehicle communicates with the home's thermostat, appliances and other devices to optimize energy consumption and ensure that the vehicle charges when electricity rates are lowest.
Electric car as backup power. If the home loses power, the consumer could use a plug-in vehicle to provide backup power for the home.
From the article "Trust and Value Will Bring IoT Home" by Jennifer Kent.
