AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY JOINS FORCES ON ACCESS TO

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY JOINS FORCES ON
ACCESS TO VEHICLE DATA
Brussels, 1 December 2016 - Europe’s automobile manufacturers and automotive suppliers have
announced that they are joining forces to find a solution for secure and safe access to vehicle data to
interested market participants. This announcement was made today by the sectors’ associations – the
European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) and the European Association of
Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) at ACEA’s conference, ‘Smart Cars: Driven by Data’.
Today’s vehicles are increasingly ‘connected’ in the sense that they can exchange information
wirelessly with the vehicle manufacturer, other vehicles and third-party service providers including
insurance companies, financial and fleet service providers, users, infrastructure operators and
diagnostic solution providers. This increases comfort and convenience for consumers, improves
products and services, and contributes towards achieving societal goals such as improving road safety,
reducing fuel consumption, and facilitating traffic management and parking.
This development is generating increasing demands from various market participants to access invehicle data. The data in question, generated by the vehicle, is known as ‘operating data’. It excludes
data imported by vehicle users (such as mobile phone contact lists and selected destinations for
navigation) and data received from external sources (like information transmitted by roadside units,
other vehicles or vulnerable road users).
Access to in-vehicle data must be safe and secure. Direct third-party access to vehicle functions could
increase exposure to hacker attacks, as every new external data interface increases the number of
potential targets and entry points. Additional safety risks in terms of driver distraction could arise if
external parties are granted uncontrolled access to the vehicle’s on-board systems, user interfaces
and function displays.
“Vehicle manufacturers are fundamentally willing to share relevant vehicle data with third parties,
provided this occurs in a way that meets strict requirements for road and product safety, as well as
data security, and does not undermine their liability,” stated ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert.
To minimise risks, automobile manufacturers and suppliers have been working together on an
alternative to direct in-vehicle access to data. This would involve vehicle manufacturers
communicating the relevant data in a secure manner between the vehicle and an off-board facility,
from where market participants can access it. This would provide an open but secure interface for the
provision of third-party services.
In addition to an external server managed by the vehicle manufacturer, one or more neutral servers
should be installed to offer service providers an alternative access method, ensuring their identity is
not disclosed to the vehicle manufacturer and that customer data privacy rights are observed. These
servers will not be operated, owned or financed by the vehicle manufacturers.
“This concept for the transfer of vehicle-generated data should contribute to innovation, allowing for
fair competition and providing drivers with freedom of choice,” stated CLEPA Acting CEO, Amalia Di
Stefano.
ACEA and CLEPA will continue to work together on the technical details, as well as a ‘proof of concept’.
***
Notes for editors
ACEA’s members are BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford of Europe,
Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco, Jaguar Land Rover, Opel Group, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault Group,
Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, Volvo Group. More information can be found
on www.acea.be or @ACEA_eu.
Contact: Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, [email protected], +32 2 738 73 45
CLEPA is the European Association of Automotive Suppliers. 120 of the world's most prominent
suppliers for car parts, systems and modules and 23 national trade associations and European sector
associations are members of CLEPA, representing more than 3,000 companies, employing more than
5 million people and covering all products and services within the automotive supply chain. Based in
Brussels, CLEPA is recognised as the natural discussion partner by the European Institutions, United
Nations and fellow associations (ACEA, JAMA, MEMA, etc).
Contact: Amalia Di Stefano, CLEPA acting CEO, [email protected], +32 2 743 91 35