Overwhelming Amount of Drivers Aren’t Using Car Subscription Services

A recent report might motivate automakers to shift their car subscription service approach

A survey of 1,000 US and European drivers has painted a bleak picture for automakers looking to cash in on their connected subscription services. The study’s results show that a considerable percentage of drivers want more value from the services regarding cost, available features, and data security before adoption. Smartcar’s 2025 State of Connected Car Apps report revealed that 76% of participants believe they aren’t subscribed to connected services. It’s worth noting how many people believe they weren’t subscribed since around 40% of respondents weren’t even aware that their vehicle had connected services. 

The study highlights 50% of drivers as being open to using more connectivity features if the services were less expensive. Several automakers offer some free connected car services, but many people aren’t sure how to access them, furthering perceptions of inaccessibility. Starting with the 2025 model year, GM offers vehicle purchasers eight years of OnStar basic services, which include automatic crash response, remote vehicle commands, and more.

The news isn’t all bad for automakers

However, of the 24% that reported themselves as subscribed to their car’s connected services, 74% are satisfied with their subscription costs. Smartcar reports 30% of US subscribers as earning over $100,000 per year and 15% of non-subscribers are equally as wealthy. In the UK, 26% of subscribers earned over £75,000 ($97,000) annually, and 20% of non-subscribers fit the same tax bracket.

The survey showed that 67% of subscribers would pay more for a subscription offering additional features, and 61% want more capabilities in their current subscription. Smartcar respondents ranked their most valuable use cases for vehicle connectivity from highest to lowest as finance and insurance, repair and maintenance, residential EV charging, public EV charging, and shared mobility. 

It’s essential to distinguish between connected car technology and third-party connected vehicle applications since 56% of the survey’s participants have used the latter. Connected car technology refers to manufacturer-embedded systems on platforms often managed by the automaker, while third-party applications like Waze are developed independently by external companies. The appeal of third-party apps is rooted in their ability to help drivers solve a clear problem, like Waze’s navigation with live updates.

Final thoughts

While Smartcar’s survey should worry automakers since it states that 96% of new vehicles will be connected cars by 2030, the fact that 56% of the report’s respondents have used third-party vehicle applications shows an openness toward regularly integrating new technology into drives. To capitalize on this willingness among drivers, automakers can emphasize connected car technology accessibility while highlighting positive case studies from current subscribers. Manufacturers will also need to ease the public’s worries about the privacy and security of connected car user data. 

“The demand and eagerness are there, but the lack of apps and options and choices for consumers is creating a barrier to entry for consumers to justify the value of adopting these types of connected experiences,” Smartcar CEO and co-founder Sahas Katta told Tech Brew. “If the automotive industry were to want to see an acceleration, we ideally believe they should be very open to opening the doors to developers, app creators, and innovators to build new experiences for their vehicle owners.”