Michelin joins alliance urging EU to bring forward in-vehicle data law

PARIS—Michelin has joined an alliance of consumer and industry organizations calling for urgent action to adopt long-planned in-vehicle data legislation.

A letter from the alliance urged European Commissioner Thierry Breton to "bring forward" market-enabling legislation on access to in-vehicle data, functions and resources.

"Pro-consumer and pro-competitive legislation is essential to kick-start the development of a European market for connected car services," the alliance said in a March 31 letter.

Michelin said the alliance comprises "consumer groups, automotive suppliers, leasing and rental industries, aftermarket operators, vehicle dealers, authorized and independent workshops, data publishers, and insurers."

The grouping represents 80 percent of the jobs and economic value of the European automotive and mobility ecosystem, the French tire maker added.

In its letter, the alliance said Breton should act on "the conclusive evidence gathered over the last seven years by his own officials."

This, it noted, had revealed "a significant hurdle" in the way of fair and equal access to vehicle-generated data.

Furthermore, it showed that vehicle manufacturers benefited from "an almost insurmountable advantage" due to the design of the vehicle.

The alliance also warned that the problem is likely to be further intensified by big digital platforms such as Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google GCP and IBM.

Termed "hyperscalers," these players are partnering with manufacturers "to embed themselves more deeply in the vehicle," it said.

Noting that the EC had originally scheduled the legislation for adoption in 2021, the alliance called for "legally-binding, sector-specific legislation by this autumn at the very latest."

"A sectoral and legally binding regulation on access to in-vehicle data is urgent to guarantee users' freedom-of-choice (and) fair competition," said Lorraine Frega, executive vice president of Distribution, Services & Solutions at Michelin.

Michelin wants "a level playing field to be able to continue investing and offering European consumers innovative and sustainable digital mobility services," she added.