We’re only halfway through 2017, but there are already loads of exciting things to say about auto trends this year.
From cars with no driver to the rise of electric. What are we going to see happen during the rest of 2017?
People will tune up electric cars
If you told us that electric cars would even be going fast fifteen years ago, we’d probably have laughed at you.
These days, we’re keen to see what people can do in terms of tuning them up.
You might not realize it, but every single winner of the Le Mans 24hour race since 2012 has been a hybrid vehicle. How long before a fully electric car takes the title?
Automated driving to get the green light?
A world where you don’t actually have to drive your car sounds pretty neat. You could just sit back and get comfortable while your personal computer chauffeur takes you to your destination.
With big companies like Google, Tesla and Apple developing technologies to make this a reality, it surely can’t be too long before these cars are in common use.
But unfortunately, automated cars are still far from perfect. A self-driving Uber car in Arizona was involved in an accident in March, which was well publicized and may have put people off the idea.
But we don’t believe that the concept is going away, even if there are teething difficulties right now.
Augmented reality – in your car
Augmented reality apps – think Pokémon GO – have become pretty popular over the last year or so. We definitely don’t recommend playing these while driving.
However, augmented reality could soon be used to help mechanics (and amateur tinkerers) to identify issues with cars. Imagine scanning the engine with your phone and being given a rundown of what’s probably gone wrong. What a time saver!
Drivers could also benefit from smart heads-up displays on their windshields before too long. There are already fairly basic options out there, so this doesn’t feel like much of a stretch.
We could be alerted about upcoming obstructions before they happened, or even share information with other drivers about our speed and location – helping people know what’s around a blind corner, for example.
Your car will know all about you
Telematics boxes are becoming more common these days. These ‘black boxes’ are one of the most etablished auto trends in our list. They track your driving habits, from how fast you drive to how harshly you brake.
Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation has already proposed rules to require new cars to be able to communicate information digitally with one another by 2020.
So your car will soon know everything there is to know about you. The idea is that all this information can be used to keep drivers safer on the road.
All this information would also help used car dealerships tell you all you need to know about the car too, making buying a new car an easier process.
What other auto trends are around?
2017 will be an exciting year for all things auto.
Be sure to check out all our news about the auto industry for 2017, and keep your knowledge up to speed!