The cars of today are safer, easier to drive and more efficient than ever before – and it\u2019s all thanks to technology. Over the past few decades, cars have evolved massively; increasingly stringent emissions and safety standards have had a transformative effect on the way cars look and perform, while consumer demand has led to the introduction of feature-packed infotainment systems and convenience features like keyless go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Technology has revolutionised the way we drive and redefined what we look for in a car. Nowadays, we don\u2019t just expect our cars to get us from A to B: we expect them to do it safely and comfortably, and we expect to be entertained along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But how did we get to this point? Which technologies should you look out for in your next car? What\u2019s around the corner? We\u2019re going to be answering all of these questions and more below, covering the evolution of automotive technology, current trends and our predictions for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s hard to get your head around just how far cars have come since the early days. Over the last century and a half, the automobile has been completely and utterly transformed – and we\u2019re going to cover some of the key moments below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Karl Benz first unveiled his Patent-Motorwagen to the world, he sparked a revolution in personal transport. Admittedly, it was a slow-moving revolution – he only sold 25 of them. Nevertheless, Benz paved the way for what was to follow, proving the concept of the motor car and demonstrating what was possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The arrival of the Ford Model T in 1908 was significant, but not because of the car itself. What made the Model T revolutionary was the way it was produced. Henry Ford was the first to pioneer the use of an assembly line, reducing production costs and making the car much more affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As cars became more luxurious and more capable, motorists started making longer journeys – and they started getting a little more bored and restless behind the wheel as a consequence. They wanted some kind of entertainment. In 1930, the world\u2019s first commercially available car radio was introduced, laying the foundations for today\u2019s infotainment systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chrysler Imperial was the first car to be offered with air conditioning, albeit as an (expensive) optional extra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s where Volvo gets its reputation for safety. In 1959, it created the world\u2019s first seatbelt, opting to let other car manufacturers use the patented design for free. Six years later, the UK Government made it compulsory for all new cars<\/a> to be fitted with them, a decision that\u2019s since saved thousands of lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n British car manufacturer Jensen was the first to launch a car with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). The FF, launched in 1966, was also the first performance car to use a permanent four-wheel drive system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Manufacturers had been experimenting with catalytic converters since the \u201850s, but it wasn\u2019t until 1975 that they became compulsory on new vehicles sold in the US, reducing exhaust emissions significantly. The UK only mandated them on petrol cars in 1993, following the introduction of Euro 1 emission standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although airbags have been around since the early 1950s, it took a while for them to catch on. In 1987, manufacturers like Porsche and Honda began fitting them to selected models as standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The E38 BMW 7 Series was the first car sold in Europe with a satellite navigation system. Incidentally, it could also be optioned with an onboard telephone, in-dash TV, parking sensors and much more besides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All of that brings us nicely onto the cars of today. With more than a century of technological development behind them, modern vehicles are packed with features that make each and every journey easier, safer and more enjoyable. Here are some popular features you might want to look out for when shopping for your next car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, we\u2019ve covered the history of automotive tech. We\u2019ve covered the features available on modern cars. But what about the future? What can we expect to see over the next decade? Here are a few of our predictions\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve seen head-up displays become more and more popular in recent years, but we expect them to gradually make way for augmented reality systems. Currently, HUDs only tend to display basic information like the vehicle\u2019s speed and range – but this is likely to change significantly over the next decade or so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Augmented reality systems could make driving easier and safer, providing the driver with additional information on traffic conditions, real-time directions and updates on the status of their car. We expect these systems to become advanced enough that drivers will rarely need to take their eyes off the road: everything they need to know will be projected right onto the windscreen itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve already seen the arrival of Tesla\u2019s Autopilot system and, thanks to advancements in machine learning tech, it won\u2019t be long before fully autonomous vehicles hit the showrooms. Tesla Autopilot is currently classified as a Level 2<\/a>, partially autonomous system, but Level 3 vehicles are trickling onto the market and Level 4 models are currently undergoing testing. The ultimate goal is Level 5 autonomy – vehicles that don\u2019t require any human intervention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As we touched on earlier, 5G connectivity is already a thing – a number of manufacturers offer vehicles with built-in 5G capabilities. But as time goes on, we expect these capabilities to be better utilised; cars will be able to talk to their surroundings and to one another<\/a>, improving safety, making driving easier and paving the way for Level 5 autonomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Range anxiety is still a thing. But what if charging became seamless? What if you no longer had to plug your car into the grid? A number of manufacturers are currently working on wireless charging tech<\/a>, which could be just the kind of breakthrough that\u2019s required in order to consign range anxiety to the history books once and for all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if wireless charging doesn\u2019t pan out, improved battery tech should – in theory – spell the end of range anxiety. The likes of graphene and solid-state batteries<\/a> won\u2019t just extend an EV\u2019s range beyond the 500-mile mark, they\u2019ll be much more sustainable than the current lithium-ion cells we\u2019re used to – and they could slash charging times to just two or three minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though petrol and diesel cars will no longer be available to buy new in a decade or so, they won\u2019t be fully left behind. Synthetic fuels will offer a more sustainable, more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, allowing classic car owners to continue enjoying their vehicles for decades to come. Although EVs look set to dominate our roads in the future, internal combustion won\u2019t totally disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n www.cars2buy.co.uk<\/p>\n <\/div>\n There you have it, our round-up of the latest automotive technology – and a look ahead to what may be around the corner. If you\u2019re in the market for a new car that\u2019s loaded with tech, you\u2019ll be spoilt for choice here at Cars2Buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We make it easy to compare new car leasing deals<\/a> from top-rated dealerships across the UK. Browse by make and model, hit search and find a deal that works for you. It\u2019s never been simpler to find your next car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 92% of our customers recommend us<\/a>. So, if you want to shop for your next car the easy way, explore our range of new car deals<\/a> today. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The car industry moves at a rapid pace and so do the technologies behind it. We take a look at some of the breakthroughs over the years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8159,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-industry-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n1966: Jensen introduces ABS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1975: Catalytic converters become widespread<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1987: Airbags become standard on selected models<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1994: Sat-nav arrives in Europe<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The latest new car technology explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What\u2019s around the corner?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Augmented reality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Fully autonomous vehicles<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5G connected cars<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
New ways of charging electric cars<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Improved battery technology<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Synthetic fuels<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Check out our car lease deals today<\/h2>\n\n\n
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