[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2014\/04\/04\/how-to-sell-an-app-on-four-wheels\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2014\/04\/04\/how-to-sell-an-app-on-four-wheels\/","headline":"The connected car: How to sell an app on four wheels","name":"The connected car: How to sell an app on four wheels","description":"Electric cars built from scratch to use new technologies take the automotive industry to the next level. The connected car can self-diagnose problems and download software fixes or updates.","datePublished":"2014-04-04","dateModified":"2024-02-28","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/michael-vax\/#Person","name":"Michael Vax","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/michael-vax\/","identifier":68,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/29a07ab76139e5e06e7fd464f16c5e34b9a938b7b8f88d005143634e5711bd73?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/29a07ab76139e5e06e7fd464f16c5e34b9a938b7b8f88d005143634e5711bd73?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/thumbnail-1ce6475b69bfe9177fb58cd1792a5548.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/thumbnail-1ce6475b69bfe9177fb58cd1792a5548.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2014\/04\/04\/how-to-sell-an-app-on-four-wheels\/","about":["Auto","Industries",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/mobile\/","name":"Mobile Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mobile_commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q1154408"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/omnichannel-commerce\/","name":"Omnichannel Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Omnichannel"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/trends-commerce\/","name":"Trends","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fad","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q787045"]}],"wordCount":465,"keywords":["Auto Industry","Customer Engagement","E-commerce","Mobile","Mobile Apps"],"articleBody":"There was a time when people were expected to be able to open the hood of a car and at least attempt to fix it. Not anymore.A modern car has more computers in it than a small office and your trusted IT guru friend will not be able to help.Electric cars that are built from scratch to use new technologies take it to the next level. Tesla promotes its Model S sedan as \u201can app on four wheels.\u201dAnd it’s not just a marketing metaphor – software is what makes Teslas unique and keeps them running. The car is connected to Internet and can self-diagnose problems and download software fixes or updates.So, if an electric car is part software and part physical device, how do you sell this shiny and beautiful Thing of Internet?      Utilities and EVs: Get ready for the electric car revolution                Utilities need to prepare for the electric car future by seizing opportunities to provide the customer experience drivers will expect.      I’ve got an app for that: Automotive evolvesMany features common in selling digital products are used in IoT commerce. If a new feature can be downloaded, the car service becomes a subscription, and it’s not a surprise that the service plans page on Tesla\u2019s website looks very similar to a subscription plan page for any SaaS company.      Automotive subscription services: Car ownership steered a new way                A big shift in the attitude to car ownership is rounding the turn. If you can hail a car to take you anywhere at will, why do you need to own one? What subscription services will mean to the future of automotive.      Tesla\u2019s service plans have a familiar combination of recurring and per usage prices with a different set of entitlements.Tesla gives this example of a new feature that can be downloaded:By default, Model S does not slowly move forward when you release the brake pedal like cars equipped with automatic transmissions. In the automotive world this is called \u201ccreep.\u201d With an electric motor there\u2019s no need for this, but some early customers missed it. Using software updates, we upgraded every Model S with a \u201ccreep\u201d option which customers can enable using the 17\u201d touchscreen.Some of these features can be premium in the future. How about selling \u201cin-app\u201d updates?The next obvious development for Tesla\u2019s commerce system will be an app store that would give an option for third-party software and hardware developers to enhance the car with innovative additions.Software is eating the world, and, as result, commerce functionality used exclusively to sell digital products becomes a must-have feature in any commerce solution.  Modern business, meet revenue:\u2013 End-to-end connected data\u2013 Engage quickly with a great CX\u2013 Sell anytime, anywhereGet going TODAY."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2014","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2014\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"04","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2014\/\/04\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"04","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2014\/\/04\/\/04\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The connected car: How to sell an app on four wheels","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2014\/04\/04\/how-to-sell-an-app-on-four-wheels\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]