With the latest advances in technological development, it’s not surprising to consider that within 4-5 years we would have smart cars available for sale at our local car dealers. A number of breakthroughs have opened the doors towards an accelerated growth in this field, starting from the successful entrepreneurial investment lead by Elon Musk on Tesla Motors, followed by Apple and Google’s research on self-driving vehicles. As a result of this innovation, companies like Ford have started to integrate Amazon Echo services to their units for the high tech future of the vehicle industry.
Putting aside all these facts, why should you get a smart car when it still proves to be an industry in development, in contrast to standard vehicles we can come across each day? Are there any valid reasons for every day consumers to get excited about smart cars even if they’re not a tech junkie? Let’s explore some benefits.
1.) Energy Management
It’s undeniable that fossil fuels are quickly meeting their end, especially if we consider the latest regulations released by France regarding combustion-engine vehicles, which to some degree are being matched by other members of the EU and USA as a model to follow in the short term.
The reason behind this new outlook on energy is not merely stating the fact that fossil fuels are non-renewable resources but also because of the impact their prolonged use may have on our environment. Electric vehicles sold today produce less than half of the damaging emissions that gas powered vehicles produce. Further advances in clean energy generation will continue drive down the environmental cost of electric vehicles compared to gas powered ones.
2.) Safety Regulations
Could it be possible to increase safety by leaving the driving up to the car? Undoubtedly yes, as smart cars could pair technologies such as sensors that won’t allow the driver to turn on the engine if there’s alcohol-in-blood detected by the system – much as the case as current Toyota Prius models handle – or simply because one of the passengers isn’t wearing its seatbelt.
Computerized cars can also track where we went wrong in our driving performance in regards to traffic regulations, making warnings when encountering reckless behaviour.
3.) It Can Help Us Become Better Drivers
Another added benefit of driving a smart car besides the decrease in traffic accidents is that it can improve our driving skills. Smart cars can record our driving sessions and then cross-reference that data with certain standard values handled by a regulatory body on what’s expected from a driver to be an “adequate performance”.
With certain controls over time, we can also check from previous months how our skills have improved, and which areas we should focus on. For example, parking in crowded areas, driving on highways, etc.
4.) Integration With Mobile Services
With a smart car, there’s no need to use our mobile phone to access data or answer phone calls. If smart service providers want to get a share of the automotive industry, they have to act fast. Platforms like Apple’s CarPlay make it possible for users to sync their data with the car, handling everything from phone calls, messages, traffic data, weather services, music streaming, and other things from the car console. This helps drivers spend less time looking at their mobile devices and more time focusing on the road.
5.) Car Insurance
Another aspect worth considering is the role that insurance providers can play in this smart car adventure. To reduce uncertainty about the cause of an accident, smart technology applied to vehicles may feature accurate systems similar to black boxes, much like aircrafts do, to provide information on vehicle crashes or accidents.
These Event Data Recorders have been featured in many vehicles to date, providing invaluable information in cases of lawsuits as was the case in late Paul Walker’s accident and his daughter’s lawsuit against Porsche, but yet there’s much room for improvement. Car insurance services are very much in need of these technological developments to keep their top-notch performance and maintain the best client-company relationship in the long term.
6.) Because it’s Cool
It could be amazing to integrate smartphone technology in our cars for making our lives easier. Imagine not needing to worry about the best route to take at high-peak hours, or have a car that automatically heads towards the closest station – gas or electrical – to recharge as the required fuel to move is coming up short.
Technology by no means make us lose independence; that couldn’t be further from the truth. We should embrace the latest technological discoveries be ready for the newest trends – who knows what may surprise us next!
