Statistics

Connected Vehicle Adoption Statistics: Consumer Use, Markets, and Industry Strategy

Survey and market statistics on connected vehicle use, consumer expectations, data trust, global connectivity, and automotive organization strategies.

Contents

Connected vehicle adoption statistics: consumer use and awareness

Connected vehicle adoption can describe several different things: whether drivers know services are available, whether they have activated them, and whether vehicles are equipped with embedded connectivity. These measures should not be treated as interchangeable. Verra Mobility’s 2024 online Pollfish survey covered 2,000 U.S. owners or lessees of vehicles made in 2019 or later, surveyed July 11–12, 2024. For that report, connected services use data from the vehicle’s native internet connection; smartphone services such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are excluded. Verra Mobility, 2024 Smart Mobility Survey

The awareness and use findings show a gap between knowing about services and using them. In 2024, 63% of respondents were aware their vehicle offered connected services, while 40% had enabled or signed up for a service through the infotainment system or built-in dashboard screen. A separate usage question found 29% aware of services but not using any, and 22% not aware of any available services. These are responses to different categories in the same survey, not a complete funnel whose stages can be added together. Verra Mobility, 2024 Smart Mobility Survey

2024 U.S. survey measureRespondents
Aware their vehicle offered connected services63%
Enabled or signed up using the vehicle screen40%
Aware of services but using none29%
Not aware of any services available22%

The same survey asked whether people renewed or opted in when prompted in the vehicle, by email, or through a car app. The “Yes” response was 35%. Another 19% said they were not aware of any connected services offered in response to that prompt, and 11% reported currently using a free trial. The prompt-specific awareness result is distinct from the 22% who were unaware of any available services in the usage question. Verra Mobility, 2024 Smart Mobility Survey

Spending interest is another adoption signal, but it records stated willingness rather than an actual purchase. In the July 2024 survey, 57% said connected vehicle services were a reason they would spend more on a vehicle. Verra Mobility, 2024 Smart Mobility Survey

Connected vehicle adoption statistics by age and purchase influence

A May 21, 2026 Verra Mobility release reports an online Pollfish survey of 2,000 U.S. adults aged 18 or older who owned or leased a 2019-or-newer vehicle. In that survey, 72% expected their next vehicle to function like a smartphone, with apps and services built in. The result describes an expectation about a future vehicle, not current embedded connectivity across the fleet. Verra Mobility, 2026 survey release

Purchase influence also differed by age. Overall, 51% said connected features would influence their decision to buy a different make, model, or higher trim level. Among drivers aged 18–24, 69% said connected features would influence their vehicle purchase; the corresponding figure for ages 55–64 was 40%. These responses indicate reported influence, not completed purchases or proof that connectivity alone determined a choice. Verra Mobility, 2026 survey release

2026 U.S. survey measureReported share
Expect next vehicle to function like a smartphone72%
Connected features would influence purchase, all respondents51%
Connected features would influence purchase, ages 18–2469%
Connected features would influence purchase, ages 55–6440%
Active use of at least 1 connected service, ages 18–2467%
Active use of at least 1 connected service, ages 55–6444%

Active service use also varied across the age groups highlighted in the release: 67% of drivers aged 18–24 actively used at least 1 connected service, compared with 44% of those aged 55–64. The measures show a difference between these reported age groups; they do not cover every age band or establish why the rates differ. Verra Mobility, 2026 survey release

The release also found that 63% of 18–24-year-olds found the in-vehicle digital wallet concept appealing. This age-specific response sits alongside the broader purchase and use measures, but appeal to a concept does not mean respondents already use a vehicle wallet. Verra Mobility, 2026 survey release

Connected vehicle adoption statistics for convenience, safety, and payments

Convenience preferences help explain what drivers say they want from connected services. In 2026, 72% said they would value a vehicle proactively suggesting trips or useful stops, including parking, fuel or charging stations, and toll transactions. In the same survey, 66% valued not having to connect a smartphone every time they entered the car. The 2024 survey found a related preference: 70% said they would prefer not to connect a smartphone to the vehicle to enable digital services. The latter comes from a separate survey and date, so it should be read as a related measure rather than a direct year-to-year change. Verra Mobility, 2026 survey release; Verra Mobility, 2024 Smart Mobility Survey

Payments combine current sign-up, preference, and comfort measures. In 2026, 51% said they would be comfortable with their vehicle automatically paying for tolls and parking, and 43% had already signed up for an app or service through the infotainment system, with parking, EV charging, and tolling given as examples. In the 2024 survey, 27% preferred paying road tolls through the vehicle’s connected services when given the option. The questions differ: comfort with automatic payment is not the same as a stated payment preference or prior sign-up. Verra Mobility, 2026 survey release; Verra Mobility, 2024 Smart Mobility Survey

Safety is represented here by perception. In the 2026 survey, 59% believed connected vehicles make driving safer. The statistic records respondents’ belief; it does not measure crash rates or demonstrate a safety effect. Verra Mobility, 2026 survey release

Connected vehicle adoption statistics and vehicle data trust

Interest in connected services exists alongside uncertainty about vehicle data. In the 2024 Verra survey, 22% said they knew what types of data their vehicle was monitoring or collecting, 34% knew some but not everything, and 41% said they did not know. The source presents these as response categories to a question about data knowledge. Verra Mobility, 2024 Smart Mobility Survey

2024 response about vehicle dataRespondents
Knew what types of data were monitored or collected22%
Knew some, but not everything34%
Did not know41%

Concern responses in the same 2024 report included 19% who were very concerned about the type of data their vehicle might collect, 29% who were a little concerned, and 13% who were okay with collection as long as they saw value from the service. Separately, 76% said they were willing to share driving and location data for certain benefits, such as a service discount. That willingness question is framed around receiving a benefit and should not be read as blanket consent to every type of collection or use. Verra Mobility, 2024 Smart Mobility Survey

The 2026 release reports a distinct set of data-trust measures: 66% said they would share driving and location data for benefits including insurance discounts, automatic toll payments, and emergency services; 14% said they fully understood what data their vehicle collects; and 54% expressed at least some concern about vehicle data collection practices. The 2024 and 2026 questions and reported benefit examples are not identical, so the figures provide snapshots rather than a directly comparable trend. Verra Mobility, 2026 survey release

connected vehicle adoption: Connected car connectivity rates across global markets and networks

Market figures measure vehicle equipment or sales, rather than consumer awareness or service activation. Counterpoint Research reported that 75% of passenger cars sold globally in 2024 had embedded cellular connectivity, up from 71% in 2023. Its scope is global passenger-car wholesale sales, referring to factory deliveries and cars with embedded connectivity. The sales share is therefore not a measure of all vehicles already on roads. Counterpoint Research, Global Connected Cars Market 2024

Global passenger-car connectivity measureReported value
Cars sold with embedded cellular connectivity, 202371%
Cars sold with embedded cellular connectivity, 202475%
Connected cars sold in 2024 using 4GAround 94%

Within connected cars sold in 2024, around 94% were 4G connected, according to Counterpoint. The report also cited 34% year-over-year growth in BYD Group’s connected-car sales and 25% year-over-year growth in India’s connected-car market in 2024. The BYD figure concerns the group’s connected-car sales; the India figure is a market growth rate. Neither is a global adoption share. Counterpoint Research, Global Connected Cars Market 2024

Installed-base estimates use another denominator: vehicles in operation. Omdia reported an estimated 473.7 million connected vehicles globally in 2025 and forecast that the installed base would surpass 1.05 billion vehicles by 2035. The release states an 8.3% compound annual growth rate for the forecast but does not specify the interval in the cited passage. The 2035 figure is a forecast, not an observed count. Omdia, Connected vehicle installed base forecast

Automotive organization strategies for connected vehicle adoption

Tata Communications’ 2024 survey reports automotive-industry professionals’ descriptions of organizational strategy. These findings concern respondents and the vehicles in their organizations; they are not household adoption rates or a census of the automotive market. On connectivity strategy, 42% reported Bluetooth and cellular, 29% only cellular, 19% cellular and satellite, and 10% only Bluetooth. Tata Communications, Navigating the Future of Connected Vehicles

Respondents also described what share of their organization’s vehicles had connected capabilities. The largest reported band was 21–40%, selected by 46% of respondents. Other bands were 0–20% (24%), 41–60% (13%), 61–80% (9%), and 81–100% (8%). These are the shares of respondents selecting each range, not a pooled estimate of the proportion of all organizational vehicles connected. Tata Communications, Navigating the Future of Connected Vehicles

The survey’s integration stance and implementation ease answers add context to those strategy reports. A positive stance toward connected-vehicle integration was reported by 70% of respondents. On incorporating connectivity into their vehicles, 18% said it was very easy, 36% somewhat easy, 28% neutral, 14% somewhat difficult, and 4% very difficult. Together, these measures describe organizational sentiment and reported implementation experience, not the pace or result of deployment. Tata Communications, Navigating the Future of Connected Vehicles

Sources

Written by

audiobahninc.com Editorial Team

Editorial team

Independent editorial coverage of car audio & everyday sound.