New technology set to transform driving

Carmudi, an online car classifieds platform, have picked out five most exciting vehicle innovations that will hit the market in the next few years. From cars that will allow you to sleep behind the wheel to the ones that will keep you hydrated for hours, there will be outrageous revolutions on the road in the coming years.

Carmudi, the world’s fastest growing car classified, has zeroed in on five key technologies as listed below that will hit the market in the next decade. And these are bound to change the rules of driving across the globe.

Autonomous cars. With the target group as lazy drivers,the unique selling point (USP) is that it will save the driver’s energy and make him relax whilst travelling Fitted with cameras, sensors, radar and lasers, self-driven cars will bring a new dimension to drivers’ etiquette on roads.

Although Google’s self-driven cars are already in operation, they are still in the decision-making process of whether to manufacture the cars themselves or sell the technology to already well-established car manufacturers.

Another technology is designed for flying cars aimed at those car freaks with enough cash to splash. Its USP is just to fly over the traffic jams. These types of vehicles were initially used for emergency services, law enforcement and the super-rich.

The next is ‘Networked cars’ and target group is the city dwellers with no need for a driving license as the unique selling point. Aimed at those who live in crowded urban areas, it will attempt to solve the problems associated with travelling in these locations.

It is a system where one calls a networked car via a smartphone app and the vehicle (pod) arrives at that destination and picks up a maximum of two people. The pod calculates the best route based on real time traffic information. It may sound like an idea too far in the future, but those at General Motors plan to run tests on this system in large cities around the world by 2020.

Cheaper high range electric cars. Here the target group are stewards of the earth with no greenhouse gas emissions as selling points. Electric cars have long been thought to be the solution to carbon dioxide emissions from gas guzzling motors and yet not so widely used.

Why? Simply put, they are expensive. The reason behind the high price is high production cost of Li-ion batteries used to power them. Professors at the University Wollongong, Australia have had a breakthrough. An element found abundantly in the earth’s crust (germanium) has ability when incorporated into the battery to increase energy storage of Li-ion batteries by five times. With this, mproved storage will reduce the price of the batteries.

Finally is fuel cell cars with people who get dehydrated whilst driving as target group flaunting its USP as producing water as waste. These types of cars are seen as the solution to the environmentally damaging combustion-engined vehicles and expensive electricity-powered cars.