News

Wi-Fi kiosks could help drivers leave CDs at home

June 24, 2004

DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. and auto supplier Delphi Corp envision Wi-Fi kiosks at gas stations and retail outlets where drivers of Wi-Fi-enabled vehicles could store credit card information so music, gasoline, parking fees, highway toll and fast food could be ordered and paid for from the vehicle's entertainment system.

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, the companies are moving in that direction by launching the first application of Wi-Fi technology (a prototype entertainment system that downloads MP3s from Wi-Fi hot spots) in a vehicle. The 2004 Lincoln Aviator SUV is now on a tour of the U.S., where the concept is being demonstrated to dealers, buyers and the media.

Ford and Delphi have been working on the concept since last fall, which is the result of two significant consumer trends: the proliferation of Wi-Fi home networks and the continued popularity of digital music downloaded from the Internet.

According to the article, the Gartner Group said the numbers of Wi-Fi users in the United States will more than triple from 9.3 million at the end of last year to 30 million by the end of this year.

Gary Streelman, Delphi's regional technology manager, says the prototype system could be rolled out to production within the next year. The secret, he said, is the Wi-Fi antenna, which is hidden in the dash rather than protruding from the roof. He guessed that at most it would add $150-$200 to the cost of a vehicle entertainment system.

The article also claims that the auto industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials are looking at Wi-Fi as the possible basis for a national roadside communications system that would provide announcements like road closings, news and weather alerts to passing vehicles.