“For us, the Geneva motor show is one of the top international motor shows in the world because every manufacturer is here and is treated equally” says a representative from a big car manufacturer. We could add that it is also one of the best motor shows to review DAB+ presence in the car because of advanced DAB+ deployment in Switzerland with many radio stations available on air in Geneva and in the halls of the show.
Each year there is clear progress as can be seen from last year’s report. The integration of DAB+ is now a common feature manufacturers have and most of them display it at the show. For example, the company Renault – who did not have a solution last year – now offers DAB+ as an option on almost all models. In general, the price of the options vary from 200 € to 500 € or more when integrated with advanced car navigation systems, but it is less tied to expensive options as it was in the past.
More manufacturers also offer digital radio as a default when buying a new car. For example, Honda announced that from 2015 on, all car models will be fitted with DAB+ and smartphone connected features. Opel and Toyota offer it on their entry level cars already (Opel Karl and the Toyota Aygo). BMW offer DAB+ on all models sold in Switzerland.
The ball is now clearly in the camp of broadcasters to complete road coverage in their country, a crucial condition to get the car industry interested. As shown in WorldDMB automotive infographics the progress is good but there is still room for improvement in Europe.
On the features level, more receivers decode text, slideshow and EPG services and service following is now implemented on almost all models. The most interesting point of this show so far was the massive offering of connected car solutions, although none of them provide a link between broadcast radio and IP at the moment.
That’s now our homework: promote hybrid radio in the car!