Enhancing driver interfaces has been a car design dream since the 1960s. Most people are familiar with the efforts of car makers like Tesla trying to give their cars a fully autonomous driving option using artificial intelligence.
These trends have been around a while and get all the news, but what about some other of the latest technology trends?
Keep reading to find out some of the newest and coolest car technology features around!
New Ways to Get a Car
Other than new car raffles and drawings, like Dream Car Giveaways does, there are also VR/AR showrooms, too.
If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we like to shop and work from the comforts of our homes more than we all realized. VR showrooms give you a virtual experience in a location that’s 100% in a virtual space.
AR showrooms, on the other hand, are a physical space. You’ll hold your device’s camera in front of you, while the screen displays interactable information. Think Pokémon Go, for car shopping.
Smartcars — No, Not Just the Little Ones
We aren’t talking about Smart Cars, but cars that have connectivity and data. The IoT is already in our homes and if you have a Tesla you’re probably used to a lot of creature comforts already.
Many of the things you’re used to hearing about in home appliances is coming to your car.
Connecting your car to an app or profile can help to remind you of oil changes due or tire pressure, age, type, and more. Also, look for it to help track your warranties, transmission, mileage, and other features, without having to go to the car’s physical dash.
Another feature is doing away with keys entirely, instead connecting your phone or a digital key, a la Tesla.
Expanded Safety Features
Look behind you with confidence, using a new, old feature, your rear-view mirror. If you’ve found it a pain to use the dash to go in reverse, you’re not alone.
The rear view mirror is a much better, wider, angle of view than the dash screen. Rear-view mirrors are getting an upgrade as they will now display video. Even 360° video is becoming available more frequently, as well as blind-spot cameras.
GM has recently pushed out the “Teen Driver” mode in newer vehicles. If your teen driver is going over the speed limit you’ll be notified and the car will limit what the driver can do. It even tracks driving behavior traits like ABS brake usage or how many times they tripped forward collision sensors.
AR on the windshield has been played with in the past, but it’s becoming more of a reality as time goes on. A few kinks need to be worked out, but expect to see it en masse soon, too.
Wireless Charging
Many of the higher trim models are including wireless charging on the Qi standard. Wireless device charging is a huge bonus, as now you don’t need to fiddle with wires or connector types while you’re in the car. It keeps your attention on the road and off your device.
Another bonus is that the Qi standard covers most devices capable of charging wirelessly.
Keep in Touch With These Latest Technology Trends
If car designers from the 1960s are still around, they’re probably happy with the advancements we’ve made but disappointed their dreams haven’t quite yet been made a reality.
We are getting close to the fully autonomous future, full of high-tech convenience that they dreamt of, but we still have a long way to go.
Keep browsing our articles to stay up on the latest automotive trends and technologies!