CES 2018: Telenav To Push In-Car Advertisements – More Revenue For OEMs

In a not-so surprising move, more car owners can expect advertisements on the move as Telenav is launching its new In-Car Advertising Platform.

No, really. Telenav’s In Car Ads SDK (Software Development Kit) powers the new advertising platform, aimed to deliver precise advertisements to drivers. For example, relevants ads can be delivered based on information from the vehicle, including frequently traveled routes, destinations and times of day. By utilizing this data, the infotainment system can show drivers relevant ads, such as picking up discounted pizza on the way home, or refuelling at the nearby petrol station when the system detects that the vehicle's fuel is low.

To ensure driver safety, Telenav says that ads will only appear when the vehicle is stopped, be in at traffic lights or upon arrival. The ads will also automatically disappear when the car is in motion or when the driver interacts with other functions of the infotainment system such as music or answering a phone call.

At the moment, Telenav’s Scout GPS Link is already part of the 2018 Toyota Camry’s infotainment system and Lexus has been using the said application since 2016.

As reported last year, Toyota has committed to Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) for its in-car infotainment system, while manufacturers like Volvo are working with Google for its next generation of infotainment systems.

Apart from Telenav, Waze has also been pushing advertisement to users of its application, although the ads are limited to those navigating using their phones and not via Android Auto.