Automotive technology has come a long way since the car was first invented. From electronics that control your LED brake lights to driver override systems, there isn’t much that can’t be done with a vehicle in 2020. Whether you’re a car collector or just a driver, you should know all about the most recent advancements in automotive technology today and what they can do for your vehicle.
The Autonomous Vehicle
Note that the sub-heading didn’t say the fully autonomous vehicle, because a car that can completely drive itself without human intervention is at least a few years into the future if it’s even possible then. The point is that the ability to just sit back, read a book, or even catch a nap is being worked on by the automotive industry on a daily basis, and could be right around the corner.
Connected Mobile Apps
It’s no exaggeration to say that the invention of smartphones changed almost everything about the way the world worked. What you might not know is that, through connected mobile apps, smartphones have even changed the way you communicate with your car. While almost every carmaker offers some kind of connected smartphone app, some offer more than others. If you’re looking for one of the best, look for apps that let you lock and unlock your doors remotely, check the status of things like your gas and tire pressure, and even apps that will let you start your car from inside the house on frigid winter mornings. It’s also important to check if there is a subscription price for the apps you choose or if they are offered for free instead.
Teen Driver Technology
Many parents say that teen driver technology is a life-saver, and they do mean that with all their hearts. Handing over the car keys after your teen passes their driver’s exam and is a licensed driver can be scary and more than a little nerve-racking. Many cars now come with apps that allow you to control some of the things your child can do when driving. These apps have teen driver limitations built-in, such as letting you know when the car gets over a certain speed, the ability to disable the stereo if your teen hasn’t fastened their seat belt, and even the capability to stop the car’s sound system from being turned up too loud.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Unless you really love it, driving is not fun. It can be made quite a bit more bearable with adaptive cruise control, however. Adaptive cruise control uses a variety of sensors built into the car to adapt your speed to match the speed of the car in front of you. This stops you from having to hit the brakes constantly or speed up when the car ahead of you does, taking some of the stress out of long trips.
There are some systems that can bring the car to a complete stop and then resume when it’s safe to do so. It is a little scary to give that much control to the car, but it is possible with this type of automotive technology.
As a driver, these are some of the best
automotive technology advancements out there for 2019 and so far in 2020. For
product designers and those in product development, these are great
strides in the right direction. Both drivers and designers need to know how
important it is for the product to be tested completely so that it is safe when
it goes into production and eventually hits car dealers for the public to
drive.