Consumers to Spend Over $9.3 Billion on Car Tech in 2009

It may seem like an astonishing dollar amount, but sales for in-car technology like navigation systems and voice-controlled stereos are expected to exceed $9.3 billion in 2009.

As telematics — as they’re known in the car industry — continue to develop rapidly, safety concerns and connectivity issues bubble to the surface just as quickly. It’s now not enough to simply have a dock for an iPod or satellite radio or a navigation screen.

As Gary Shapiro, Consumer Electronics Association president, put it to a crowd during a presentation with Ford, “The car, as we see it, is really becoming the next digital living room.”

Along with developing the complete integration of information and communication systems within vehicles, the industry is also tasked with keeping drivers free of distraction and focused on the road. Ford’s support of a texting-while-driving ban as it seeks to develop voice-to-text technology is the best example of this.

In-car Tech Sales to Top $9.3 Billion (Detroit Free Press)