In-Car Voice Commerce Could Unlock $35B Annually for Automakers, Research Highlights Strong Consumer Appetite

Business Wire

3 days ago

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN), a global leader in voice artificial intelligence, today released findings from a new study, commissioned by the company, revealing that consumers are eager to embrace in-car voice commerce. The findings point 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 1.
Voice commerce integrates ordering, payments, loyalty, and navigation directly into a car's voice assistant to provide a seamless, hands-free experience powered entirely by voice. Based on projected new vehicle shipments, SoundHound estimates that in-car voice commerce represents up to a $35 billion annual opportunity for automakers.
Monetization Potential
According to the independent study, 73% 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% would pay to access the service, – 18% would pay per transaction, 29% would pay a small subscription fee – 31% are open to hearing a few ads per hour, and 29% 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.
Revenue Impact
Voice commerce will also directly influence purchasing decisions. The study found that 69% of consumers currently in the market for a new vehicle say they 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.
Loyalty Opportunity
In a market where automotive brand loyalty is declining – 47% of U.S. consumers are open to switching car brands, according to Statista – voice AI can help OEMs stand out. By delivering utility beyond traditional in-vehicle controls, brands can increase loyalty.
72% of respondents said they would ask their voice assistant for product or service recommendations, positioning the assistant as trusted consumer companions and the brand as the facilitator of everyday needs. This behavior transforms the cockpit experience into a recurring brand engagement and commerce touchpoint.
Top In-Car Voice Commerce Use Cases
73% of respondents were interested in using in-car voice commerce. When participants were presented with specific use cases, 76% were interested in using it for food ordering, 73% for vehicle maintenance, 71% for parking, 59% for entertainment planning, and 58% for impulse retail purchases.
Example queries include:
'Find a restaurant for date night and make a reservation for 7pm.'
'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, COO at SoundHound AI. 'We are already working with innovation teams at several of the world's largest OEMs to pilot and scale this capability, bringing SoundHound's long-time vision to life.'
SoundHound will delve deeper into these findings during two upcoming keynote presentations. On June 4, COO Michael Zagorsek will present the research at WardsAuto AutoTech in Detroit, followed by a keynote from Dr. Pedram Faghfouri, Head of Automotive & IoT, at Car HMI Europe on June 16.
To reserve access for SoundHound's upcoming white paper examining the survey results, please visit: https://go.soundhound.com/voice-commerce-whitepaper-firstlook
1 According to Statista based on a 2021 survey, there are over 127 million voice enabled cars in the United States. Based on the company's estimate of projected subscription, transaction, data brokerage, and advertising revenue, this represents a $35 billion annual opportunity for automakers.
About SoundHound AI
SoundHound AI (Nasdaq: SOUN), a global leader in voice and conversational intelligence, delivers AI solutions that allow businesses to offer superior experiences to their customers. Built on proprietary technology, SoundHound's voice AI delivers best-in-class speed and accuracy in numerous languages to product creators and service providers across retail, financial services, healthcare, automotive, smart devices, and restaurants. The company's various groundbreaking AI-driven products include Smart Answering, Smart Ordering, Dynamic Drive-Thru, and the Amelia Platform, which powers AI Agents for enterprise. In addition, SoundHound Chat AI, a powerful voice assistant with integrated Generative AI, and Autonomics, a category-leading operations platform that automates IT processes, have allowed SoundHound to power millions of products and services, and processes billions of interactions each year for world class businesses.
About Big Village
This survey was conducted from March 14-25, 2025 among 1210 regular drivers aged 21-65 in the United States, who primarily drive cars model year 2019 and newer who use voice assistant while driving or have voice assistant available.
Big Village is a global marketing and media company. Driven by its diverse group of experts, Big Village provides a new way of working by bringing media, insights, and creative all under one roof. Find out more at https://big-village.com/.