Technology is rapidly evolving these days. That’s true for virtually every industry, including the world of cars. It’s quickly reaching the point where the cars of tomorrow will look completely different from the cars of today. This is important to think about whether you are thinking about purchasing a new vehicle or if you are part of this industry.
So, let’s look at some of the key questions surrounding the cars of tomorrow and provide the answers about the tech upgrades we are likely to experience over the next few years.
Will They Fly?
Arguably the biggest question mark surrounding future vehicles for many people is whether they will ever fly. Believe it or not, flying cars have been teased and hinted at by governments and tech producers for years. Ever since the early eighties, it was believed that flying cars would exist in the future. Just look at films set now that were made back then. They almost all feature flying cars but these have yet to materialise. Is it simply impossible. While perhaps not totally crazy, flying cars can only exist when we have the right fuel source and this isn’t available in our societ at the moment. That said, this doesn’t mean there won’t be at least a form of flying cars in the years ahead.
Various businesses are working on small, flying cars that would operate like taxis and function similar to personalised helicopters. It’s not quite what people dreamed of when they saw a Delorean shoot into the sky at the end of Back to the Future, but it may be as close as we get for a little while. As for private flying vehicles, this seems far less likely.
On the other hand, some companies are far closer than you might realise to making these science-fiction dreams a reality. Indeed, there are already, certain certified flying cars that exist on the market. As such, it may only be a matter of time before this does hit the mainstream in some form or another in the future.
Will They All Be Self-Driving?
Self-driving cars are not confined to the future. They’re not a concept that exists solely in imagination. In one form or another, they do already exist on the market. But does this mean that one day, we won’t legally be able to get behind the wheel of our own vehicles?
While many news reports claim that this idea is ridiculous, some experts predict that driving will be banned completely by as early as 2050. This might sound crazy but it’s not when you realise that cars already happily drive themselves in most situations. There are 5 different levels of self-driving vehicles. Most vehicles sold on the market now hover between the 2 and 3 market. Level 4 vehicles already exist and are available to purchase and level 5 is the final frontier. This means that the car will be able to drive itself in any situation and any environment. Once this happens, there will be no need for human drivers. At the very least, it’s unlikely we will continue to depend on taxi drivers or drivers for logistics.
That said, the technology is not quite as dependable as companies would like just yet. This is going to take time and that’s why there are still lawsuits floating around today where people have died or been injured after relying completely on self driving vehicles. It is also why all self driving vehicle manufacturers advise that you do maintain focus on the road, even when the car is driving itself.
Will They Be Totally Customisable?
Another point to consider is whether cars of the future will be completely customisable or it at least, will there be more personalisation options than the cars of today? In all likelihood, the answer to this question is a resounding yes. While it is possible to customise different elements of the car today including the paintwork or adding a new muffler, in the future, choices will be far more significant. What is the cause of this?
Essentially, it’s all about evolving technology. As computer become more advanced, so to will machines. This means that it will be easier to create and produce cars around highly specific preferences. These will go far beyond the standard options such as colour. This has already started to happen with companies beginning to create cars with custom computers. This also provides more profitability options. For instance, it’s now possible for manufacturers to lock different vehicle capabilities behind paywalls. Indeed, it’s entirely possible that thanks to new customisation options subscription model will become far more prominent in the car industry.
Will They Need To Fit Environmental Concerns?
It’s fair to say that modern cars will need to fit with the latest environmental concerns. This means that any future vehicle is going to need to be green-friendly. Indeed, it is highly likely that be 2050 almost every car released on the market will have zero carbon emissions. Of course, this doesn’t include the production of the vehicle itself. It wil be an uphill task for producers to remove the carbon footprint caused from creating a vehicle. Instead, this only refers to the level of carbon that is produced when driving the vehicle.
Of course, eventually, producers will also need to think about how the entire production process can be made to fit into the circular-economy. This will be a critical requirement for the future of our world. Particularly, when you consider how many vehicles are produced on a daily basis.
Smart
It’s fair to say that cars of the future are going to be a lot smarter. They are going to have more capabilities than the vehicles we have today. That said, today’s vehicles are already smart. They can tell you when your tyre pressure is low or when different liquids need to be refilled and this is just one element. They also have advanced security features built in and we’re really only scratching the surface of what is possible here. In the future, it’s likely that a car will be able to predict weather patterns and change accordingly based on road requirements. In other words, your car will be set up to handle different road challenges when you get into the driving seat. This is because future cars will all come with impressive AI systems built in. As such, you will have your own personal assistant on-hand, at least digitally, to help you with all the different road requirements. It could also make the theoretical death-proof car a true possibility in the next few years. This has been a dream of producers for generations.
Fuel Choices
Finally, it’s worth thinking about fuel choices for cars in the future. Right now, the main focus is often on electric vehicles and this is understandable. After all, it’s an exciting new choice and almost always marketed as the greenest solution available. While this may be the case, electric vehicles do come with a few issues. For instance, the put the power grid under a massive level of pressure that it potentially can’t withstand. That’s an issue because it could mean power shortages in the future. Particularly, when you consider that the vast majority of people still do not own electric vehicles. If they did, then it’s possible and indeed likely that there wouldn’t be enough electricity to fuel them all anyway.
So, instead of the electric vehicle, it’s possible that there will be alternate solutions in the not too distant future. These would still need to provide a green option for those eager to keep their carbon footprint as small as possible.
Unfortunately, right now there are no apparent promising alternatives. Hydrogen could be a potential possibility. However, experts still need to work out how to guarantee that this is a safe solution that won’t cause more problems then it solves in the long term.
The big benefit of hydrogen is that unlike gasoline, it doesn’t release carbon into the atmosphere. Instead, it only creates water-vapor. As such, as a fuel source that is used on a daily basis, it is far more green-friendly overall. This means that it does match the eco-friendly requirements of modern day life.
We hope this helps you understand some of the key ways that the cars of tomorrow are going to be different from the ones on the road today. It’s fair to say that driving is going to be a completely different ball game in just a few years. Within the next decade, the roads we know and love will start to look radically different and perhaps won’t even have drivers behind the wheels. It is impossible to fully predict the new challenges that this is likely to bring and the impact the changes will have on both car buyers and producers. It could even impact the legislation by governments that we have relied on for years if not decades.
This will depend entirely on the innovations which are promised and pioneered by the major companies.
