Report: Light commercial vehicle telematics market underpenetrated in Europe

The European light commercial vehicle (LCV) telematics market is largely untapped. Overall penetration of telematics in the 29 million LCVs in operation in Europe is just 6.2 per cent, which presents immense opportunities for telematics vendors as well as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the European Light Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market, finds that catering to the demand for customized telematics solutions will provide the impetus for higher revenues. The study estimates market revenues to go up from 1.10 billion Euros in 2012 to 3.10 billion Euros in 2019.

Hardware costs are steadily declining, and to boost the use of telematics in LCVs, several aftermarket vendors are offering subscriptions with no upfront cost while distributing the hardware and services cost over set contract periods.

"The market, mainly dominated by these independent aftermarket telematics solution providers, is witnessing the entry of OEMs that provide solutions covered by warranties and supported through dealership networks," said Frost & Sullivan Automotive and Transportation Industry Analyst Niranjan Manohar. "These systems are popular as they are available through modular subscription schemes and allow customers to upgrade or downgrade their service level requirements."

Beyond 2015, legislations that mandate new cars to be equipped with eCall devices will facilitate the entry of more OEMs with new offerings in the LCV telematics space, further aiding market development. The advent of telematics as a standard line-fit in medium and heavy CVs will hasten the introduction of next-generation services such as real-time information on traffic and parking in LCVs.

Currently, however, the absence of an established OEM base is depriving the market of the product volumes necessary to fuel penetration in new vehicles. Moreover, low awareness among small- and medium-sized fleets in Europe curbs adoption. The unique needs of various industries within service clusters will add to the challenge of ensuring unified customer awareness.

Focus on finding the right product, service and finance mix for the right customer will help retain existing consumers and attract new ones. Hardware and software maintenance contracts must be promoted and the range of company-relevant applications widened to spur recurring revenue.

"The proliferation of smartphones and tablets has afforded a means of accessing information in real-time with an easy-to-upgrade and easy-to-use platform, driving fleet management solutions vendors to offer apps," noted Niranjan Manohar. "Predictive analytics using big data will also be the key differentiator, as supplying actionable information to optimise field force management enhances customer service."