Telematics Research Group predicts that 30 million passenger cars – about half the global units – will have voice recognition capability, Automotive News Europe reported.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more


Around 8% of the world’s passenger cars currently have voice recognition devices.


“We are on the verge of large scale numbers that will bring [voice recognition] down in price,” says Phil Magney, president of the US-based telematics consultancy.


Says Arnd Weil, product manager for embedded speech at ScanSoft: “Our focus is to get speech technology into the mass market.”


Through suppliers such Magneti Marelli, Delphi and Visteon, ScanSoft supplies voice recognition technology to PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, Fiat, Saab, Opel, Ford and others.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Weil says the Telematics Research Group’s forecast for voice recognition system take up sounds reasonable.


Voice recognition technology allows drivers to use speech commands to carry out tasks such as telephone-dialling or entering addresses into a navigation system.


It is mainly fitted in premium vehicles from brands such as BMW, Audi, Land Rover, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, but is slowly entering the volume market.


The 2005 Honda Odyssey minivan launched recently in the US can be fitted with a $US2,000 speech recognition system from IBM that allows drivers to input street names into a navigation system without fumbling with knobs and buttons.


The system is also standard on the US 2005 Acura RL sedan, which will be sold in Europe in 2006 as the Honda Legend.


ScanSoft’s Weil predicts that more than half the next-generation models with navigation systems will be voice-controlled.


He says: “[Carmakers] can’t afford not to offer it.”