An oft-cited Autotrader study states that more than 70% of millennial drivers claim technology and infotainment systems are “must haves” when buying a car. Considering these drivers will be 40% of the new car market by 2020, such tech features are a clear priority. However, sophisticated personalized automotive technology is hardly the hallmark of compact and economy cars, which millennials are more likely to purchase.

Additionally, the increased trend in carsharing means that learning the UI of different infotainment systems, creating new personalized settings, and getting the most out of a drive through integrated apps are all more difficult and time-consuming than they should be.

Consider a portable automotive infotainment system that would work seamlessly in an economy car, a 20-year-old car, a two-hour rental, or a weekend share. Imagine that you wouldn’t need to buy an additional gadget (outside of maybe a dashmount), you wouldn’t need to learn a new navigation system, and you could set up your preferences once then access them no matter where you were or what vehicle you were in.

With 70% of millennials sleeping next to their phones, a phone-based infotainment system aligns perfectly with their mobile, app-based lifestyles. The Drivemode app transforms a user’s phone into a car’s central computing device allowing voice-to-text messaging, music player overlay on navigation, “Do Not Disturb” mode, message auto-reply, and personalized travel recommendations. Drivemode works in any vehicle for a smarter, safer, connected driving.

As automotive industry leaders consider how to appeal more to the influential millennial driving market, Drivemode's innovative solution meets them exactly where they are: on their phones. Free to download, Drivemode is available for Android devices at bit.ly/getdrivemode.