It is increasingly apparent that with the help of wireless communications each automotive vehicle will be a unique node on a global, vehicular communications network in the future. This vehicular communications network, in turn, will support interactions within the automobile, with the surrounding environment and directly with nearby vehicles. Important challenges facing this emerging environment are the maturity of the technology, the value of the services performed, the business models, the rationale for creating such networks in the first place, and the complex regulatory regime and standards that must be established. This paper looks at the emerging ITS environment, examines challenges, and discusses approaches and solutions through example application scenarios.