The future of in-car technology

Automotive manufacturers are constantly striving to keep their models up to date in the modern age. With new and innovative technology being created all the time, manufactures must constantly adapt to keep up with designs that enhance the driving experience, offer better efficiency and support additional safety features. Recent years have seen the introduction of rear view cameras, Apple CarPlay, cruise control and more – and now self-driving cars are on the horizon.

But what features are expected to be introduced in the near future, and what innovative technologies can we expect to see?

Weather Adaptation Systems

Jaguar Land Rover recently announced the news that their new vehicles will be fitted with systems for advanced weather adaptation. Cars will be able to adapt automatically to changes in the weather, making adjustments to traction control, climate control, drivetrain and suspension in order to improve driving efficiency.

This new system should prove particularly useful to Range Rover and Land Rover models, such as the  Land Rover Discovery Sport Hse, which is built for driving on all terrains. This intelligent system is said to be capable of predicting both present and future weather conditions by accessing weather data via GPS and telematics to adapt both the interior and exterior of the car. One feature has suggested that this system can also close your vehicle windows automatically if it senses that rain is on the way. Interior and exterior lighting will also be altered according to weather conditions, whilst rain and terrain-sensing mechanisms will be used in order to control the humidity, pressure and temperature inside the cabin.

Image Source: Pixabay

Weather adaptation systems are expected to arrive in 2020, along with JLR’s electric models and autonomous technology.

ECO-pedals

The new Nissan Leaf model debuts a new one-pedal driving system. This electric model not only has twice the mileage of the previous models in this range, but this new feature allows for the accelerator pedal to become a multifunctioning e-pedal with a touch.

When activated, the e-pedal works as a stop, start, accelerate and breaking pedal. The system also means that the car will slow down to a halt on its own with the added ability to hold itself in place on a hill without the need of the brake pedal.

The new system is said to be more efficient than the previous models. The pedal has been nicknamed the ECO-pedal system and can control the speed of acceleration to prevent the engine from revving up. A colour flashing Eco-P lamp will also display the level of fuel-efficient driving. Nissan reports that studies have proven that eco-driving using the new pedal can improve fuel efficiency by up to 10%.

The future of vehicle safety

Most drivers will already be aware of some types of autonomous technology. Many manyfacturers are now offering self-driving tech as a part of their new models – and most are being used to improve safety on the roads.

Blind spot information systems

BLIS can be used when changing lanes to help detect vehicles in your blind spot. The BLIS system will alert drivers when a vehicle enters the blind spot zone. The area of detection is on both sides of the vehicle and extends from the outside mirrors to around 10 feet past the bumper. A small light on the side of your wing mirrors will illuminate to alert you when there is a vehicle in the blind spot zone. The light will switch off when the zone is clear of all vehicles.

Speed assistance technology

Intelligent speed safety (ISA) technology will let drivers know when they are driving over the speed limit via visual and audio warnings. The system is able to use GPS in order to detect the location of the vehicle and match this up with a digital road map which has been programmed with the speed limit information for each road.

The system can also double as a speed limiter – it is able to take control of the vehicle and reduce the speed when the limit is exceeded. It can do this by reducing the throttle signal. In addition, the system also features speed limiting technology that can increase the pressure on the accelerator so that it is harder to speed up and pass the speed limit.

Lane departure warning systems

A few vehicles are now fitted with lane-keeping systems, or lane departure warning systems. These help you to stay within your lane when driving on the motorway. It is vitally important that you stay in your lane when driving on the motorway, unless you intend to overtake. The lane departure warning system will alert you via a vibration through the steering wheel if your vehicle is starting to unintentionally stray from its lane. Additionally, in circumstances when the vehicle thinks that your reactions are too slow, it will provide a steering torque to bring you back into the safe open space on your lane. This feature prevents drivers from moving out of their lane when driving on dual carriageways and motorways where they are surrounded by other high-speed drivers.

With the automotive industry in its prime and innovative new technologies on the rise, we have a positive future ahead of us. We should expect to see a complete transformation of the driving experience in years to come.