More than 70 per cent of new vehicles registered in the UK last year had connectivity featured, according to statistics published in Catapult’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles report.
With the ending of Block Exemption due to end in 2023, the Independent Garage Association (IGA) has warned that vehicle manufacturers could restrict access to vehicle data for the independent garage sector, limiting consumer choice for their service and repairs.
Frank Harvey, head of member services at the IGA said: “The growth of in-vehicle data in connected cars means that access to technical information remains crucial to the independent sector.
“We acknowledge that the connected car is a part of modern motoring, but consumers must be free to choose where their vehicles are maintained.
“To ensure fair competition between franchised and independent garages, protocols must be put in place to allow fair and open access to the data generated.
“It is therefore vital that vehicle connectivity data is not monopolised by vehicle manufacturers, restricting the consumer choice.”
For further information about the IGA, select ‘more details’ below.
Share your comments below.
