Car Navigation That’s Hard to Understand? The Importance of Localization for Smart Vehicles
As the global smart vehicle market continues to grow rapidly, the development of “Automotive Localization” in various regions has become a crucial competitive advantage for automakers. This strategy is not only a key marketing tool but also a vital element for success in local markets worldwide.
A critical aspect of this process is “Automotive Language Localization,” which involves tailoring the text and service content of smart vehicle products to match the preferences and habits of users in different regions. By doing so, automakers ensure that local drivers can easily understand vehicle functions, ultimately boosting brand satisfaction.
Challenges Faced by Customers
One of our clients, an automaker planning to launch a new generation of vehicles in Taiwan, encountered several difficulties due to the development team’s unfamiliarity with Taiwan’s traditional Chinese language. These challenges included:
- Automotive text content that didn’t align with local linguistic habits in Taiwan
- Translation errors in automotive text that failed to convey the intended meaning
The devil is in the details. Automotive language localization goes beyond simple translation of displayed text and status messages; it also encompasses the accuracy of human-vehicle interaction content and semantic logic. Recognizing these intricacies, the automaker turned to Allion Labs’ automotive consulting services for assistance.
Solution by Allion Labs
The automaker’s development team initially relied on translation tools, which made it challenging to ensure the accuracy of details or to address the specific needs of local users effectively. After extensive discussions with the client, Allion Labs’ smart automotive consulting team proposed a tailored “Automotive Language Localization” validation and consulting solution, which included:
Language Testing
- Considering the culture and common phrases of local users, combined with various user scenario simulations, to ensure that local drivers can clearly understand text content and operate vehicle functions.
- Providing localized optimization suggestions for both textual and voice assistant content.
UI/UX Optimization
- Ensuring that the UI/UX design aligns with the common operational habits of users in Taiwan.
- Offering optimization suggestions for user interfaces and workflow designs.
For more details, see: Localization Field Testing | Allion Labs
Common Issue Scenarios
Improper translations can lead to misunderstandings or confusion about vehicle functions, potentially causing various driving safety risks. Based on our observations in the Taiwan localization project, some common issues include:
- Translation Errors:
- Inaccuracies when translating from English to traditional Chinese, such as road names not matching official translations.
- Text Display Not Matching Local Habits:
- “循環” displayed as the simplified Chinese “循环.”
- “Steering assistance” displayed as “轉向介入.”
- Voice Assistant Feedback Misaligned with Local Usage:
- Voice prompts saying “不要上坡” instead of “不要上匝道” (“Don’t go uphill” instead of “Don’t enter the ramp”).
- Issues with voice assistant responses that require specific commands for activation, making them easy to overlook and challenging to validate.
Beyond identifying localization issues, Allion Labs’ consulting team participated in discussions to prioritize problem resolution, enhancing efficiency and quality while preventing delays in product launches.
Time to Market with Quality! Allion Paving the Way to Success for Your Products
The value delivered to our automotive clients through Allion Labs’ smart vehicle language localization consulting services includes:
Faster
Accelerating the resolution of issues.
Easier
Comprehensive user condition simulations and confirmation of localized text.
Better
Reducing complaint rates and enhancing product competitiveness.
If you encounter challenges during product development, testing, or certification, feel free to contact us via our inquiry form. Allion Labs is ready to provide tailored solutions to help your product stand out in today’s competitive market!
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