Motoring
Exciting Car Technologies
We take a look at upcoming car features that could transform the way we drive The automotive sector is currently seeing the rise of electrification and increased autonomy, and the next few years could see manufacturers including a number of exciting technologies. We pick out some examples.
Vehicle-to-Grid Charging
Clutchless Manual
With the rise of hybrid and electric vehicles, the need for a manual gearbox is fading, though it may live on in some form. In 2017, Toyota showcased the GR HV Sports Concept, which had automatic transmission but left an H-pattern shifter in place to retain driver engagement. Don’t be surprised to see such a feature in a near-future production car.
Enhanced Autonomous Technology
Production cars already use autonomous technology, many for safety reasons – such as allowing cars to detect vehicles ahead of them slowing or stopping. In the next five years, we expect further developments. It’s unlikely that we’ll see production cars that are capable of piloting themselves on public roads, but there’s a good chance that many production vehicles will be able to take over more control from the driver than is currently available.
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Launched in 2018, vehicle-to-grid charging (V2G) allows electric cars to give back electricity to the grid. Essentially electric cars ‘talk’ to the grid, detecting when energy demand is at its highest. We expect this to properly come to fruition over the next five years.
Wireless Electric Car Charging
A major drawback of electric car ownership is the charging process – it can be complicated, and involve heavy and unwieldy cables going from vehicle to plug. Wireless electric car charging allows a vehicle to drive over a ‘pad’ capable of transmitting charge wirelessly from the mains to the car’s batteries. Just driving over a section of road or parking space fitted with the technology will allow you to charge an electric car.
Speed Limiters in Cars
From 2022, all new cars sold in the EU and the UK will be fitted with automatic speed-limiting
technology that detects the speed limit of a road and prevents gradual acceleration beyond that point. However, pressing the throttle harder with the limiter active will allow the car to push beyond it, though keep in mind breaking the speed limit is an illegal act.
Breathalyser Technology Built-in
2022 will also see the infrastructure for breathalyser technology built into all new cars. This won’t require every driver to take a breath test before using their vehicle but convicted drinkdrivers would have to breathe into a device — with the engine unable to be started if they are over the limit or do not attempt the test.
Digital Mirrors
Digital mirrors are expected to be more widespread and replace traditional mirrors with cameras located on the wings of the car. These relay an image onto small screens placed at either side of the cockpit. You get a clearer picture of the area behind you and there are efficiency benefits through decreased drag. We’ve already seen it on cars like the Audi e-Tron and Honda e, but it’s likely to be adopted in other vehicles soon.
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