Interesting things are happening with cars these days. New technologies are making their way into the cockpit of our vehicles, and I have to say, it’s nice. Cars have been dramatically improved upon over the last 10-15 years in areas such as reliability, styling, and interior. The major improvement though, has been this new technology like Sync in Fords, and Uvo in KIA’s. Voice command isn’t the only new technology though, tablets are finally starting to make their way into cars as the central command station on the dash.
Even crazier options like car vacuums, and automatic breaking are becoming standard options. Like I said, there are tons of exciting new options that are being released, so let’s take a look at the top three.
- Take me to the Nearest McDonald’s…and order me a burger: It used to be that voice commanded GPS systems were the wave of the future. Everyone was reveling over the ability to tell a little screen where to go and it would give you directions. Well guess what, that same technology has evolved in to systems much more capable than giving you directions. Some of the upgrades that are in cars now can send a voice text message, make a call, switch the radio station, and even control your mp3 player. The days of using your hand for anything but driving in a car are behind us.
- Touch Screens!: This technology in cars is relatively new, just introducing itself into some luxury segments, but none the less, it will find its way in to affordable cars soon. The idea is taken from the tablet craze that has swept over consumers. There’s a simple fact, people like touch screens. There’s something that is just cool about them. They can also serve several different platforms and needs, which is one of the reasons they got so popular outside of cars. Now being introduced into dash boards, they make buttons obsolete. This can serve as a GPS, a way to display music, and to change your A/C temperature and power. Say goodbye to buttons, because as new ideas are thought up, the more there is a need for a computer in your car, and a tablet on the dashboard is just that.
- Wait up, I Need to Charge My Car: Traditionally, cars have run on gasoline. Everyone knows how the harm to our environment from driving these cars, but they are essential to daily life. Cars like Toyota’s Prius, and the Chevy volt, have started to pave the way for electric cars. There’s one car that breaks from the mold. Tesla Motors produces a totally electric car…in luxury. Up until now, the draw to an electric car had been not paying for the gas, well Tesla changed that. Now there is a car out there that looks great, has good performance, and a luxurious interior. This could be a major step for electric cars in the future.
If you look at a car from 1999 or 2000, you wouldn’t have ever dreamed that vehicle would be like technologically advanced. The next 10 years are going to be a proving ground for hybrids and electric cars, and could become the majority on the road. Another cool technology that wasn’t around 15 years ago are car sites like Jean Knows Cars, where you can research cars to buy, new technology, and also performance research. These sites make it easy for everyone to find the perfect car, or become a car expert. Technology is changing the way we drive, let’s see how far we can take it.