CARUSO says EU Data Act rollout still leaves major gaps in connected-vehicle data sharing

CARUSO has published its CVFT 5.0 report on how automakers are implementing the EU Data Act, and the findings point to uneven compliance, difficult user activation flows and inconsistent pricing. The report suggests third-party, multibrand data services still lack the common framework needed to scale across Europe.

Why it matters: - The EU Data Act has given vehicle owners a legal right to access and share connected-car data, but CARUSO’s latest assessment suggests the market is still far from delivering smooth, multibrand data services at scale. - Third-party mobility, insurance, fleet and repair services depend on consistent access to vehicle data across automakers. - CARUSO says the current rollout still does not create an attractive commercial environment for those services.

What happened: - CARUSO GmbH published the 5th edition of its Connected Vehicle Field Test, or CVFT 5.0, on October 12, 2026. - The report evaluates how major automakers are implementing the EU Data Act, which has applied since September 12, 2025. - The Data Act is designed to expand the use of data generated by connected products, including vehicles in operation. - The report was backed by members of ten major European industry associations. - CARUSO said the report is available to any interested party via the CVFT 5.0 information page.

The details: - CARUSO assessed the Data Act solutions of major automakers systematically from September 2025 through July 2026. - The report found wide variation in Data Act implementation across automakers. - Some automakers introduced compliance measures as soon as September 2025. - Other automakers followed months later. - Some automakers still do not offer a solution that lets drivers share their data. - The European Commission has issued guidance on the categories of data that should be made available to consumers for sharing. - CARUSO found substantial differences among automakers in the data points they make available. - A common data set across automakers is necessary for any multibrand use case to scale. - Without that common baseline, multibrand services cannot be deployed across all manufacturers. - CARUSO said end users often struggle with the activation process for sharing data with third parties. - Users interacted with automakers through apps, portals, forms and email. - The most frequent feedback was that the process is not simple or intuitive for people with limited digital experience. - CARUSO said high abandonment rates during activation will limit scale for data-driven business models. - The report also found uneven delivery methods and differences in data quality. - CARUSO said large-scale automated use cases require modern data-sharing technologies aligned with current best practices. - That includes streaming technologies and APIs rather than web forms, emails or downloadable files, which are still used by a significant number of automakers. - CARUSO found major differences in data-package composition and pricing for third parties. - Prices for the full available data set range from 0.00 euro to more than 30.00 euro per vehicle per month. - Some automakers let third parties pick individual data points. - Others offer only predefined bundles, which limits flexibility. - CARUSO described the field test as covering more than 30 major automakers and about 90% of connected vehicles in Europe through its broader platform footprint.

Between the lines: - The report points to a gap between legal access rights and practical market readiness. - Europe may now have a legal framework for vehicle-data sharing, but inconsistent technical implementation and user experience are slowing commercial adoption. - The pricing spread suggests automakers still treat vehicle data as a highly fragmented product rather than a standardized market input. - The support from ten associations signals broad industry concern that uneven implementation could delay the Data Act’s intended benefits.

What's next: - CARUSO is pushing for more transparent and consistent implementation of the Data Act across automakers. - The report’s findings are likely to feed ongoing industry debate over common data standards, user-consent flows and pricing models. - Third-party service providers will keep pressing for access models that are easier to activate and simpler to scale across brands.

The bottom line: - The Data Act has opened the door to connected-vehicle data sharing, but CARUSO says the industry still needs a common, usable and commercially workable framework before that right becomes a scalable market reality.