It’s strange to think that just over 100 years ago one of the biggest problems faced by cities was the disposal of manure generated by the carthorse-driven transport system. Nobody at the time anticipated the massive paradigm shift that would be created by the invention of the internal combustion engine.
A century later we’re on the verge of another paradigm shift that will leave our current transport system looking just as antiquated and outdated to future generations. Massive changes in the way cars work and how we think of them are afoot, driven by the evolution of telematics and artificial intelligence.
Here are five future car technologies that will change the world of automobiles forever.
Telematics apps
As you’re reading this article you’re living right in the middle of a revolution in the science of telematics. In the past telematics devices were fixed units with specific functions like vehicle tracking or navigation. However, this is changing rapidly thanks to the widespread adoption of smartphone technology. Today’s mobile phones are capable of running numerous telematics applications.
Navigation apps have been around for a while, and now your smartphone can also be transformed into a sophisticated vehicle tracking device that can measure all aspects of your driving in real time.
The technology is allowing insurers like UbiCar to provide users of its free smartphone app to score their driving and get rewarded with fairer priced insurance that’s based on how safely they drive.
Get fairer car insurance. Based on how you drive
Heads up window displays
With driver distraction recognized as a major cause of car accidents, this technology couldn’t arrive too soon. Heads up window displays will use active glass windscreens that will be able to display transparent images, allowing you to interact with various applications in your car without having to take your eyes of the road. This tech will enable real-time navigation cues, as well as allowing you to view car performance data, and even text messages, on your windscreen.
Electric cars
This technology isn’t new, but has never been closer to mass deployment. Electric vehicles don’t just make sense from an emissions and efficiency point of view – they also leave traditional combustion engine vehicles in the dust.
Electric engines are far less complex than internal combustion engines, allowing for quicker and more efficient transfer of energy. Electric engines can also reach peak torque far more readily than conventional engines, which translates into lightning fast acceleration.
Driverless cars
Estimates on when driverless cars will begin taking over from conventional cars differ, but one thing is for sure, they will take over. Fully autonomous vehicles have already been developed and tested, and major car manufacturers are quietly but determinedly competing to get the first autonomous consumer vehicles on the road. While the first couple of generations of autonomous vehicles will be partially autonomous, future generations will be guided entirely by artificial intelligence. Some elements of this technology are already being incorporated into new cars in features like automatic braking and autonomous parking systems.
Vehicle to vehicle communication technology
Vehicle to vehicle communication technology will probably arrive in your car before it starts driving itself. This technology involves the communication of location and speed data between vehicles.
Therefore if a collision between your car and another car you’re approaching appears likely, these systems will send signals to both cars alerting the drivers of the risk, and potentially also automatically activate their braking systems to prevent a collision.
Get rewarded with UbiCar
UbiCar is the ground-breaking app that promotes and rewards safe driving.
Become a part of the future of driving and download UbiCar now. It will not only help you become a better driver, but will also allow you to qualify for fairer usage-based insurance premiums that reward you for good driving.
