The car of the future is not the futuristic prototype you’ll meet at car shows and trade fairs. A car without tires floats in the air. Now, some of these prototypes may be built in the future, but they still look suspiciously “normal” to the outside world. Technological developments and trends ultimately determine future vehicles, as state-of-the-art vehicles (not car designers) ultimately determine which vehicle to ship from the factory.
Today’s Three Most Important Automotive Trends
In today’s automotive industry, there are several trends regarding future automotive development. The most important current trends are:
– Electric operation.
– Self-driving car (unmanned car);
– Car sharing or car sharing.
Electric Driving-Existing Concept of New Attire
In fact, cars with electric motors have existed since the early 19th century, developed in France, Germany, the United States, and more. However, electric cars have long disappeared from the streets. The range was too short and the car was running too slowly due to the heavy battery. Why does this sound so familiar to us?
With Tesla at the top, automakers such as BMW, Nissan, and Volvo are once again focusing on developing quiet and environmentally-friendly electric vehicles, but this time with a cruising range of over 350km. General Motors has announced that it will develop a number of electric models, and Volvo Cars plan to run all Volvos on electric motors from 2019. Volkswagen is also participating. By 2025, one in four VW vehicles will need to be electric, so the company plans to make a significant investment in battery production over the next few years.
Self-Driving Cars and Ride Sharing
Self-driving is a trend that began with the introduction of self-driving systems such as adaptive cruise control and parking assist into vehicles. So far, this technology is mainly used to assist drivers. Improvements, further developments, and networking of these systems will result in vehicles that do not require a driver.
According to a 4,444 survey, 55% of US and German drivers do not voluntarily board self-driving cars. This is mainly due to the fact that people in the United States and Germany prefer to control their cars. Think of a reliable car brand in the US and Germany (BMW, Volkswagen, Ford). Here, people are always standing firmly on the ground with good wheels. The idea that a car does not have the same judgments and reactions as a human driver and is, therefore, unsafe holds many people.
Is electricity driving future trends?
At the Motor Show, all brands can definitely talk about the trend of exhibiting electric cars. However, the cityscape has a significantly larger number of non-electric vehicles like for example the model Honda SUV, and a smaller number of electric vehicles, so automakers need to do their best to increase the sales and production of electric vehicles. For example, Tesla is struggling to produce the electric vehicles it needs.
If manufacturers can meet demand at the right time and produce more technologically advanced vehicles over longer distances, the end result will be an electric vehicle that can cross the Netherlands without having to stop at a charging station.
