As the automotive industry accelerates towards a future defined by digital transformation, the car is rapidly evolving into a dynamic, connected living space.
Advances in connectivity, software platforms, network technologies, and autonomous capabilities are reshaping not only the function of vehicles but how they fit into our daily lives.
Pascal Peguret, Senior Vice President of HARMAN’s connectivity business unit, explores how these innovations are enabling new experiences and possibilities, shaping the mobile living space in 2026 and beyond.
In 2026, we are clearly moving towards a future in which the car will become a fully networked, digital living space. Even if fully autonomous driving will not become a reality within a year, its development is inevitable – and it will fundamentally change mobility.
V2X connectivity: from niche technology to essential feature
Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity is rapidly shifting from a niche technology to a standard feature in new vehicles. While adoption has lagged behind initial expectations, the technical foundations are robust and mature. The real challenge lies in achieving critical mass: widespread adoption and standardisation across vehicles and infrastructure. In regions like China, regulatory momentum is accelerating the V2X uptake, but Europe and North America remain hesitant in line with their regulatory bodies.
Hesitation aside, V2X’s promise is substantial – it will enable vehicles to communicate with each other and with infrastructure, supporting real-time safety services, efficient traffic management and enhanced rescue operations in extreme circumstances. As more vehicles and road systems adopt common standards, the benefits will multiply, making accident reduction and emergency response more effective. HARMAN is a strong advocate for V2X, recognising its potential to underpin a safer, smarter mobility ecosystem.
SatCom: bridging connectivity gaps
As we rely more and more on connectivity to enable modern mobility, the problems of ubiquity are gaining importance and need to be solved. The limitations of terrestrial networks become apparent, especially in large markets with patchy coverage. Satellite communications (SatCom), or Non-Terrestrial-Networks (NTN), is poised to complement these traditional mobile networks, ensuring global coverage and uninterrupted safety services. Recent advances, such as HARMAN’s partnership with Qualcomm and Skylo to deliver Ready Connect, the first automotive telematics control unit with native satellite support, demonstrate that SatCom is ready for automotive deployment.
Narrowband satellite solutions already enable emergency messaging and vehicle data transmission, while the next challenge is integrating broadband SatCom for real-time streaming and updates.
In this world, the car becomes another software platform. Functions are activated, optimised and updated remotely, akin to the smartphone experience. OEMs can deploy new features and improvements over the air, ensuring vehicles remain current and relevant throughout their lifecycle. The entrepreneurial potential here is vast, where software enablers and app ecosystem developers are empowered to play a critical role in shaping the future of mobility.
From transportation to software-defined consumer platforms
Perhaps the most profound shift is in how the car is perceived by its end users. No longer just a mode of transport, the vehicle is evolving into a digital consumer product – an extension of the user’s connected lifestyle. As we move closer to autonomous vehicles, the day will come when active driving participation will not be the primary concern for vehicle occupants. When this happens, the car will become a multifunctional space for productivity, entertainment and wellbeing. Drivers and passengers will want to make better use of their time in the vehicle, whether that’s for work, entertainment or relaxation. We are responding to this consumer demand for seamless integration with home and office environments and digital platforms that can adapt to individual needs in order to enable such consumer experiences at an automotive quality grade.
Fields like connectivity, electrical/electronics architecture, software, and central computing platforms are increasing in importance and HARMAN’s Ready Connect technology is at the forefront of our transformation in this area. By providing a scalable, integrated connectivity platform for OEMs, Ready Connect accelerates the shift to software-defined, cloud-connected vehicles. It enables rapid deployment of in-cabin technologies, from compute and displays to audio, wellbeing and connectivity. The result is a secure, highly connected environment with continuous cloud access and real-time services.
Looking beyond 2026
Maturing connectivity will also redefine the nature of car ownership. Mobility-as-a-service models will become more prevalent, with on-demand access replacing traditional ownership and substantially changing the spaces our vehicles inhabit. Urban environments will naturally adapt with less need for parking and more flexible commuting options. The work-from-home revolution changed the places and ways we work and we expect the autonomous revolution, enabled by connectivity developments, to do the same as commuters stop seeing driving as a waste of time.
