Let’s face it; we know car technology has evolved over time. And damn, what do you think about the past? We’ve been a long way, and cars have evolved to include hybrid engines and such, and now we’re facing sleeker designs than ever. But what about the future? What’s next for car technology? Let’s look at some good ways to project what’s new in car technology, and find out where we’re going and how we need to approach what’s next.
One of the next big things is for cars to communicate with each other on the road, and even to communicate with the road itself. Why? you may ask. It’s easy, it’s safer, and it’s better for us as drivers. Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication, or V2V, is making headway, and will help prevent accidents. A car running a light? The car will let your car know before you go forward, thus preventing you from getting in a fender bender. Another subject of investigation is V2I, or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, where cars “talk to” road signs and traffic lights, too. Sounds great, no?
Insurance companies have been making progress in pushing telematics insurance. Insurance that is based on how, where and most importantly how fast you drive. This isn’t great for any want to be race drivers burning round the streets in their used Vauxhall cars, but for the rest of us could lead to fairer insurance premiums. Insurance companies are highly competitive currently so using an online service you can compare auto insurance quotes and save lots of money.
Another main thing to keep an eye on is self-driving cars. And why not? How many hours have you wasted in traffic driving slowly? As 95% of traffic accidents are caused by human error, self-driving cars, based on communicating with each other and with the road, mean you could read a book during high-traffic hours, or even put on a new outfit for after-work happy hour. Sounds great to me, and I suspect you would like this, too.
Another big new thing is augmented reality boxes, or AR. These boxes would show you how to maneuver your car to get the best of tricky situations on the road, and you could also use this to see what’s going on around you when windows are fogged, or weather is bad. This is a way to prevent accidents, and in fact, BMW’s already started implementing some of these changes.
Another big new thing is airbags that help stop cars. Sounds like the perfect way to save lives, and indeed, it is. These airbags, being used by Mercedes in experiments, are underneath the car, and they can help stop a car before the moment of impact, thus keeping horrible accidents at a minimum. This is indeed a great new thing to watch, don’t you think?
(Photos by Mooshuu and Philipp Beckers)
