Fujitsu Forecasts Utilization Rates of Shared Cars to Surpass 50 Percent by 2030

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 15, 2017  /PRNewswire/ -- Fujitsu America, Inc. expects that by 2030, a majority of shared cars on the road will have utilization rates above 50 percent—a significant jump from the current utilization rate of five percent¹. As Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) becomes a reality in the day-to-day life of consumers, there will be a need for improved driving efficiency and increased usage of cars that currently spend 95 percent of their lives parked.

"We're beginning to see the emergence of a technology-led digital transformation with consumer purchase habits shifting from the must-have car to the shared mobile device offering transportation options. As intelligent mobility continues to mature, MaaS providers will need to find innovative ways to maximize the uses of their autonomous fleets going beyond providing passenger services by expanding into areas such as parcel delivery and environmental services," said Paul Warburton, global head of automotive at Fujitsu America, Inc. "The success of a MaaS provider will be determined by how much utilization they can gain from their accessible fleet, the value they can offer and the agility to meet the evolving demands of an instant gratification society. If car companies wish to lead this digital transformation, they will need to be quick to change and willing to see the automobile as enabling technology and not the primary value proposition as it has been."

Innovation and Collaboration Wins the Race
According to Frost & Sullivan, more than 20 million vehicles could be removed from the road annually as a result of growth in new mobility services². To stay competitive in this new landscape, it is crucial that car manufacturers think beyond the traditional ecosystem of making and selling cars and drive innovation into a digitally transforming auto industry. By partnering more closely with IT vendors, car companies can benefit from the process of co-creation to guide their business decisions with the goal of providing new environments that quickly address the digital demands of the modern-day consumer.

Yours, Mine and Ours
MaaS has been steadily growing, with the U.S. carsharing market roughly doubling in five years to achieve $400 million annual revenue in 2015 ³. Motorists of the future will have more options in how they access cars; most will either buy one and rent it out to other drivers or join a subscription-based service, which will give them access to multiple types of cars. Under the subscription model, members will have access to a variety of models and can select cars based on their immediate needs, selecting a minivan for a family vacation or a shared autonomous car for the morning commute, for example.

The World Is at Your Fingertips - Literally
With cars being shared by multiple drivers, physical keys will soon become extinct, as biometric authentication becomes the standard for accessing and operating vehicles. Beyond operation of the car, biometrics can create a personalized and flexible experience for activities inside and out. The touch of a finger on the dashboard can provide access to a driver's cloud-based music/movie collection, move the seat to the preferred position or even authorize payment for a meal at the drive-through of a fast food restaurant. Software will enable biometric authentication to unlock personalization features as well as other capabilities like entertainment, WiFi, and semi- or fully- autonomous features, which can be enabled or disabled based upon the driver's membership and the upgrades he or she selects with the subscription.

These high-end features – including the enhanced aesthetics of these future vehicles – will help create a consistent, personalized experience in each car a person drives, which will increase the popularity of car-sharing programs and help drivers get over the attachment of owning their own car.

The digitalization of the automotive industry means that car companies have new responsibilities to consider. "Mobility-as-a-Service cannot succeed without a sound security and identity strategy and integrated program. With connected components and motorists' profile information available through cloud-based models, it will become vitally important that car companies detect security threats, and fraudulent identity attempts, utilizing such technologies as Biometrics-as-a-Service," said Jason Bradlee, head of security, Fujitsu America, Inc. "This is an area especially where car manufacturers need to look outside of their companies and enlist the help and support of technology partners."

Notes to editors

1. Reinventing Parking
2. Frost & Sullivan
3. Auto Rental News

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About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US $40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

About Fujitsu Americas
Fujitsu America, Inc. is the parent and/or management company of a group of Fujitsu-owned companies operating in North, Central and South America dedicated to delivering the full range of Fujitsu products, solutions and services in ICT to our customers in the Western Hemisphere. These companies are collectively referred to as Fujitsu Americas. Fujitsu enables clients to meet their business objectives through integrated offerings and solutions, including consulting, systems integration, managed services, outsourcing and cloud services for infrastructure, platforms and applications; data center and field services; and server, storage, software and mobile/tablet technologies. For more information, please visit: http://fujitsu.com/us and http://twitter.com/fujitsuamerica.

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