2010-06-25 09:48

BEIJING - From the "Internet" to the "Internet of Things", the world is becoming increasingly connected in a myriad of ways.

With the promise of connecting automobiles to each other and to the transportation infrastructure, the "Mobility Internet" could revolutionize both urban mobility and the automotive industry, mapping out the next virtual super highway.

As a vision for the future of connected cars, the Mobility Internet refers to technologies that allow vehicles to collect, process and share enormous amounts of data by linking them to each other and to an urban network, much as the Internet links computers today.

The Mobility Internet will enable vehicle users to connect to their social networks, creating a new type of social interaction while on the road.

"The Mobility Internet will fundamentally change the way people travel in cities in the future. It will enable autonomous driving so that drivers can fully enjoy the wireless social network as they travel," said Kevin Wale, president and managing director of General Motors (GM) China.

Vehicle connectivity may become the next technology focus for the automotive industry in the future, according to Patrick Oliva, corporate vice-president of tire maker Michelin.

Thus, vehicle connectivity, together with the concept of the Mobility Internet, may play an important role in achieving real mobility.

"Telephones and computers have evolved from desktop fixtures tethered by landlines to pocket-size devices that can go anywhere, anytime, with wireless connections via the Internet. Now it's the automobile's turn," said John Du, director of GM's China Science Lab.

Like laptops and cell phones, connected cars have a variety of convenience features. They will be able to sense what is around them and communicate with other vehicles and the road system. This will optimize traffic by shortening travel times and make travel more easy."

"The next step to enter the Mobility Internet era is moving from concept to commercialization," said Wale, of GM China.

The US automaker provided Chinese consumers with their first Mobility Internet experience by launching its OnStar in-vehicle communications service last December, being the first and biggest player in the segment. Through the Global Positioning System and wireless communication technologies, OnStar provides 14 services, including automatic crash response, emergency services, security protection, navigation, vehicle diagnostics and hands-free calling.

Chris Preuss, president of OnStar, said that more than 29,000 users have subscribed to OnStar's service in China within the past six months. The company expects OnStar to have nearly 200,000 users in China by the end of this year.

"Although currently the most popular requirement from our customers here is the navigation service, which is three to five times higher than demand from US subscribers, we see more potential in the new Mobility Internet services," said Preuss.

According to OnStar call center, Chinese car owners will, on average, request OnStar services more than 80 times per year. That compares with the average figure of 14 times in the US.

Automobile sales in China surged 46 percent to 13.6 million units last year, helping the country overtake the US to be the world's biggest auto market. Industry analysts all predict that the boom will continue in the next five years, with a year-on-year growth rate of 20 percent.

"The basic components for the next generation of transportation systems and intelligent public transit are already on the horizon," said Yang Xiaoguang, director of the Department of Transportation Engineering and the ITS Research Center at Shanghai's Tongji University.

Discussing the next-generation transportation system, Guo Xingang, principal engineer and senior director of applications research at Intel Labs, added that "the Mobility Internet is gaining momentum. It will lead us to a safer, greener, more efficient and more comfortable future. Vehicles will connect to the huge Internet world, sharing in its rich resources and services".

"In-vehicle sensors will feed information back to the Internet in a timely manner. This will make the Mobility Internet an indispensable part of a society on wheels in the 21st century and people's digital lifestyles," said Guo.

Many of the technologies that will enable connected vehicles like GM's EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) concept, Ford's SYNC, Toyota's G-Book and SAIC Group's inkaNet 3G already exist today.