Sales of built-in navigation systems up 40 percent
NAVTEQ, a digital map database supplier, reports that over 1 million vehicles
were sold in North America with factory-installed navigation systems in the first 10 months of 2005, representing 40
percent growth year-over-year. Over 90 percent of these vehicles use NAVTEQ map data.As factory-installed navigation systems have moved from a luxury car option to a mainstream item, sales have skyrocketed. However, Telematics Research Group reports that 61 percent of built-in navigation systems still go into luxury vehicles.
TRG believes that portable navigation devices (like the Garmin Nuvi, at right), including GPS-equipped PDAs and cell phones, will rapidly outstrip more expensive built-in units, with annual sales of 17.8 million units by 2011 in the U.S., vs. 4.4 million factory-installed navigation systems. Worldwide, the difference is even greater, with 2011 portable navigation device sales forecast at 109.9 million, vs. 20.2 million built-in units.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ccweems 6:13PM (12/22/2005)
Once trip computers were $800 options and now they are either standard or pretty cheap options. Why the change? The OEM cost was next to zero, especially if displays were already installed. While the cost of navigation is not zip, its not far from it. Trade publications are covered with $2 (yes, two dollars) single chip GPS solutions. I expect the biggest hard cost is paying Navteq for the maps. Someday I expect the car manufacturers will wake up and see what a marketing instrument navigation systems present. Can you imagine starting your car in the morning and be presented with a discount code to be used at the nearest Starbucks which will be noted on the map. In the future we won't have to pay for maps, advertisers will be happy to supply them. Pull into your garage at night and your car's wifi will sync up the maps so they will reflect the changes in road construction noted by the city the day before plus any recent openings of restaurants and stores according to a profile you have already established. And, yes I claim the IP for that.
Reply
Gardiner Westbound 10:59PM (12/22/2005)
This reminds me of the cellphone's late-80s arrival. $2,000 in-car units were almost universal. Portable cellphones, so big and heavy they came with a shoulder strap, were twice the price and were lousy performers. Now portable cellphones are pretty much all there is, and at a fraction of the original cost.
But why would one pay for an expensive buit-in navigation system when several very good $500 portable units are available? Better still, why would you pay for a portable unit when the same service is available on your cellphone from Verizon at $10 a month (or less, and there's no need to periodically buy $200 upgrade CDs? See the link for an earlier Autoblog story. http://autoblog.com/2005/12/07/verizon-announces-navigation-service/
Reply
Bigel 12:34AM (12/23/2005)
ccweems, that is just a creepy prophesy. But I get the feeling that it's not far from the truth. Now the question is not if, but when.
Reply
Jason 2:33AM (12/23/2005)
Why would I pay for an expensive built-in navigation system? I drive an Acura so I'm blessed with:
1. A huge 8" touch screen
2. A clean, integrated solution
3. Zagat restaurant reviews
4. Real-time traffic displayed on the map (RL only)
5. Voice recognition and control from the touch of the steering wheel
6. A unit that coordinates with other electronics in the car: stereo, large XM readout, AC
7. Linked up to my car's Bluetooth phone system so I can look up a restaurant and push "talk" on the screen. My phone automatically dials...
I'm probably missing more good reasons to buy the factory system, but seven is all I could come up with right now. I think Acura (Honda) makes the best systems so these reasons don't necessarily transfer to a BMW or Audi.
Reply
join 4:06AM (12/23/2005)
Here in my town ... at our University we make software for that kind of staff.
We have here a great software team.
I like that - http://www.boli-medicina.com
Some usefull informations is that navigation systems have moved from a luxury car option to a mainstream but on the default options.
http://www.boli-medicina.com/dieta-regim/REGIMUL-LACTAT-BM-COM.php
I apreciate this site
Reply
Richard Warren 10:19AM (12/24/2005)
Real men, don't need this or maps. We save money on both. If we really need directions we call 411 on the cellphone or ON Star. One less thing to go wrong and one less piece of paper in the car.
Or, for the really cheap, just go to yahoo and print of the directions when you need it.
Reply
Erik Olufson 12:07AM (1/13/2006)
"ccweems" - your dream of the coupons has come true. Check out the new nuvi from Garmin. You know coupon books you used (or someone else you knew) bought that was as thick as a phone book? The nuvi has one installed in it. You find more info on it here: http://nuvi.blogs.com/
Reply