With the birth and development of the Internet of Things, a similar new concept has emerged in the automotive industry over the past few years - the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). According to relevant reports, the next 10 years will be a period of rapid development for China's IoV market. The scale of the market formed by this development is estimated to be around 200 billion yuan, with total profits from related products amounting to approximately 20 billion yuan. With the establishment of various IoV industrial alliances led by domestic institutions at the end of last year, the entire industry is on the brink of an explosion.
The so-called IoV refers to electronic tags installed on vehicles that use wireless identification technology to extract and effectively utilize all vehicle attribute information on information network platforms. Based on different functional needs, it also effectively monitors the operating status of all vehicles while providing comprehensive services. This allows vehicles to connect with other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists on the road, and urban networks, thus enabling smarter and safer driving.
Currently, with General Motors, Toyota, Nissan, and other manufacturers' intelligent network driving systems undergoing trials, the "Internet of Vehicles" is becoming increasingly accessible to ordinary consumers. Experts point out that interconnected vehicles have the ability to sense surrounding things and can maintain real-time communication with other cars and road systems. These functions optimize traffic routes, shorten travel time, and make journeys more predictable. Moreover, connected transportation not only accesses the vast world of the Internet, sharing its rich resources and services, but the in-vehicle sensing system can also promptly feedback external information to the Internet.
A simple example is that the autonomous driving function of the IoV allows blind people to drive cars, providing a more reliable guarantee for safe travel. The vision of the IoV is very promising, but behind the IoV, there is a lack of policies and standards. Relevant companies along the chain operate independently, with less than 20% of service providers being profitable. These factors make the advancement of the IoV difficult.
Furthermore, the IoV faces many constraints. First is the cost issue. Manufacturers who have already tested the waters provide a certain period of free service before charging fees, but not many car owners seem willing to continue paying. Additionally, current in-vehicle products mainly address the relationship between vehicles and people, far from solving issues such as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-road relationships with the surrounding environment. During this period, IoV technology applications are more of an attractive selling point.
In the large system of the IoV, in-vehicle products have only taken the first step. Building the entire IoV relies on the establishment of urban intelligent transportation systems and information sharing. Of course, the IoV must solve a series of technical problems. For instance, some sensors are not yet ideal. Any factor involved in vehicle operation, such as traffic lights, cameras, congestion analyzers, or even weather conditions, must all be fully connected together. Missing any one of these factors is unacceptable. A bigger challenge is that the IoV involves multiple departments and industries. Who should be responsible, how to operate, and a series of management issues need to be resolved through coordination.
To put it plainly, the IoV is actually a branch of the Internet of Things. Once the IoT becomes perfected, the IoV will naturally mature and flourish. (By Che Guiyuan)