China: Google and Apple on the sidelines in connected car battle

As showcased at CES, car manufacturers and technology companies are converging in providing solutions for connected cars, betting that consumer demand for in-car connectivity services will continue rising. According to IHS Automotive forecast data, by 2021 more than 72% of passenger vehicles will be connected. In fact, the connected car movement in the global auto industry has been so rapid recently that connected cars are rolling into our streets faster than expected. China is also riding the wave of the connected car. However, the competitive landscape is quite different there.