When the first engine-powered vehicle was patented in 1886, and little did people know how much it would change with the evolution in vehicular technology. By the early 1900s, cars had begun to enter the mainstream, with more and more people opting for a vehicle over the traditional horse-pulled carriage. Fast forward to today, cars are but a natural part of our daily lives.
The evolution of personal vehicles has been very exciting. Throughout the years, the engine was made even more efficient and required less and less gas. Each model was a significant upgrade from the last, which leaves people wondering: what is the next big car technology? Below are some ideas that may give you an idea.
Electric Cars Will Shock Everyone
Every year, environmental concerns are being discussed in world forums and meetings. And thanks to the efforts of environmentalists, world leaders are now seeing the impact of non-renewable fuels. While cars are among the primary culprits for non-renewable energy, electric and hybrid vehicles are fast becoming popular, even more than gas-fed vehicles.
Electric cars are considerably safer in the environment, have a competitive resource-consumption to mileage ratio, and are generally a lot smoother and quieter than traditional gas engines. Even the old problems of electric machines being weaker are now rectified. Electric cars now pack a considerable amount of horsepower, rivaling even gas-fed cars. Indeed, the future is electric, and even cars will be running on batteries too.
Augmented Reality Windshields
The dashboard is used to hold all the information that pertains to a car: the fuel tank, the speedometer, and other gauges and indicators. Currently, researchers have discovered a way to input all of this information on the windshield. We’re now entering an even more sci-fi world with augmented reality windshields.
Cars can display the necessary information on the windshield, intelligently hiding based on the driver’s activity levels. The windscreen of the future can tell you how fast you’re going, whether you should turn right or left, or even tell you if something is blocking the passage.
Augmented reality makes the transfer of information from computer to user seamless, and this extends to mechanics. Now, repair people can use augmented reality glasses in a car’s engine, with the device telling them if something is wrong. The mechanic can then find out if it’s replacing or fixing and even provide tips and instructions on how to go about it.
Smart Vehicles and Smarter Drivers
With the evolution of vehicular technology, cars nowadays are equipped with computers that take advantage of internet connectivity. These car-attached computers can do just about anything a smartphone can, but their programming is geared towards traveling and commuting. From highly reliable and real-time traffic updates to tracking your own position relative to an area, researchers and developers aren’t stopping there. The once-science fiction self-driving cars are already here, but they’re just about to get smarter.
The car of the future is reported to be a lot more reactive and sensitive. Automatically reading the temperature and adjusting the internal temperature of the vehicle can provide comfort. Being able to read and analyze the digital maps are already available to avoid traffic. It can even park itself to save you the hassle of parallel parking on your own. The cars of the future will become more innovative and intelligent, and it will force many car owners to keep up with them in terms of knowing how smart cars work and function.
New Cars Means New Manufacturing Methods
Because the cars of today are so different from the ones produced even just ten years ago, the manufacturing process will change quite significantly. While there will still be a demand for aftermarket parts for industrial vehicles such as Caterpillar onesand other industry-specific cars, the manufacturing methods for vehicles and automotive will change entirely.
Gone will be the bulkier, edgier frames of cars. Now, physicists have understood what makes a vehicle efficient. Less wind drag, better weight distribution, and efficient engine placement are some differences car manufacturers are implementing. Even when it comes to industrial-grade vehicles, innovations and improvements aren’t stopping, and soon enough, the manufacturing method would have changed entirely.
Cars will most likely remain an essential part of the future. We’ve become far too reliant on them when it comes to transporting not just goods, but us as well. We can only hope that the future of vehicular technology remains positive. The developments currently being researched are all towards a better and more efficient way to transport us, and we can only hope it arrives sooner.