Global connected car sales to exceed 500 million in 2030, India to be among top nations

Global connected car sales are likely to exceed 500 million in the 2024-2030 period, and about nine out of 10 such vehicles sold in 2030 will have embedded 5G capability, a report showed on Friday. China is expected to lead the connected car sales market, followed by the US, India, Japan and Germany, according to Counterpoint Research.

“India is set to experience the fastest growth in connected car sales between 2023 and 2030. Indian automakers are gradually catching up with their international counterparts and enhancing their digital offerings to improve the driving experience,” said senior analyst Soumen Mandal.

At present, Germany leads in terms of connectivity penetration, but China is expected to achieve 100 per cent connectivity penetration by 2028.

China, the US, India, Japan and Germany are projected to collectively account for over two-thirds of global connected car sales by 2030. Over the last decade, 4G was the major cellular connectivity embedded in cars. However, the use cases for the cars rolling out over the next decade will warrant 5G connectivity to satisfy the new advanced mobility use cases.

Senior analyst Parv Sharma said that currently, more than 96 per cent of connected cars are powered by 4G while 5G is still picking up. “The higher price of 5G telematics devices, lack of 5G infrastructure and unavailability of killer use cases have been the major reasons for 5G's slow growth earlier in the decade,” Sharma added.