Unfortunately, as new creations coming into an existing market, with a burgeoning second-hand market at best, very few vehicles are cheap – especially when you can pick up a functional petrol car for under £1,000 easily.
Throw in the misconceptions about mileage and difficulties with electrical, and it’s clear that extra selling points need to come into the equation. Governments put up incentives to help cut the costs, but many manufacturers have also turned to adding premium options to make the premium prices that bit more palatable.
Building the Entertainment Experience in EVs
You’ll find that several new, premium, and even some of the more entry-level models are now carrying extra incentives that lean into facilitating an entertaining in-car experience. This can range from displays in the back or passenger seat for those who aren’t driving to watch or play on to superior internet access.
The Ford Puma Gen-E, for example, has a built-in modem that delivers high-speed internet connections. This 5G addition means that connections from its driver’s screen or your phone will always be fast and reliable. It’s become a necessity of modern driving, what with people wanting to stream their own music or podcasts on the go.
Over at Mercedes-Benz, the C400 model primed for launch in 2027 offers a few different option for its hefty dashboard display, ranging from a digitally-trimmed one to the Hyperscreen. The key to the whole piece is that the passenger gets their own 14-inch touchscreen segment as part of the total, potentially continuous, display of 39.1 inches.
Beyond these premium additions being made standard to the purchase, there are plenty of companies looking to lean into the need for more built-in entertainment for drives. EV Autocentre, for example, can install two 12.4-inch monitors as well as 12 months of air time with a Wi-Fi router added in. Some are even toying with the concept of all windows being potential screens thanks to MicroLED technology.
Touchscreens and Internet Connections
We’ve come to expect to be able to access the internet at all hours and from just about anywhere, even while driving. The built-in modems and routers will help passengers to keep access to the entertainment they want to access, be it films or video games for passengers with access to faster internet connections, and social media or ongoing games of bingo online for those with slower ones. With new games starting up regularly, there’s a constant carousel of bingo that can be enjoyed, provided that the player has a modest internet connection. Media such as bingo games are probably more reliable sources of entertainment for the time being while not every vehicle has good roaming internet access built-in as standard.
But while you can’t always guarantee a particularly strong internet connection, having built-in touchscreens that run for as long as the car has battery means that you can continue to deliver entertainment to the other seats. Most online streaming services offer a way to download for offline viewing, upholding the utility of the screens anywhere.
Selling premium products as it is, it’s wise for EV manufacturers to fit in these kinds of bells and whistles where possible to help get those who’re on the fence over the line.
