In-Car Voice Commerce Could Unlock $35B Annually for Automakers, Study Finds

Consumers are eager to embrace in-car voice commerce, pointing to an untapped opportunity for automakers to unlock new monetization and revenue streams, deepen customer loyalty, and enhance the in-car experience, with the technology projected to be worth $35 billion annually, according to new research from SoundHound AI.

Voice commerce integrates ordering, payments, loyalty, and navigation directly into cars' voice assistants to provide hands-free experiences powered entirely by voice.

According to the independent study, 73 percent of U.S. drivers who use or have access to voice assistants in their vehicles are willing to share value in exchange for voice commerce functionality. Specifically, 46 percent would pay to access the service, 18 percent would pay per transaction, 29 percent would pay a small subscription fee, 31 percent are open to hearing a few ads per hour, and 29 percent would share personal data.

This consumer openness presents automakers with multiple monetization pathways, ranging from paid premium services to ad-supported experiences and data-driven personalization, delivering a new, post-sale, revenue engine that adds to the customer experience, according to SoundHound.

Other findings from the study include the following:

• 69 percent of consumers in the market for a new vehicle would prefer a car with in-car voice commerce capabilities over one without. For automakers, this adds a new layer of opportunity, differentiation, and revenue upside during the consideration phase.
• 72 percent of respondents said they would ask their voice assistants for product or service recommendations, positioning the assistants as trusted consumer companions and the car companies as facilitators of everyday needs. This behavior transforms the cockpit experience into a recurring brand engagement and commerce touchpoint.
• When participants were presented with specific use cases, 76 percent were interested in using it for food ordering, 73 percent for vehicle maintenance, 71 percent for parking, 59 percent for entertainment planning, and 58 percent for impulse retail purchases.

Example queries include the following:

• "Find a restaurant for date night and make a reservation for 7 p.m."
• "What does this dashboard light mean? Book me a service appointment."
• "Order ingredients for sausage and peppers from the grocery store and navigate me to the store for pick up."
• "Find parking near the movie theater."

"In-vehicle voice commerce is not only about convenience for drivers; it's also a strategic revenue and retention opportunity for automakers," said Michael Zagorsek, chief operating officer of SoundHound AI, in a statement. "We are already working with innovation teams at several of the world's largest [automakers] to pilot and scale this capability, bringing SoundHound's long-time vision to life."