Drivers overwhelmingly prefer voice assistants over drive-thrus, presenting a ripe opportunity for restaurants to cash in on convenience and curbside cravings.

There will be 180.9 million connected car drivers in the US by 2028, reaching over 70% of licensed drivers, according to a September 2024 EMARKETER forecast.

AI and advances in immersive media, connected cars, and sustainability tech made big splashes in 2023, but their impact may be even bigger in 2024.

The number of US connected car drivers will reach about 175 million in 2027, and the systems they use will become more sophisticated as electric vehicles and embedded car operating systems become more common.

Rapid adoption of digital assistants, smart speakers and other voice-controlled devices is changing the face of human-machine interaction. This report examines the state of the market for these technologies and what’s likely to happen next.