The auto industry has grown to such a size that many of the R&D goals that once seemed fanciful are now being realized. Currently valued at around $2.7 trillion according to IBIS World, the industry has more than enough funds for researching new tech. Every subsector of the auto industry, from in-car tech to the electric vehicle market, is showing remarkable growth. Here are only some of the new technologies coming to the world of vehicles this year.
Next-gen keyless access
Keys are the simplest means to lock and unlock doors, but they bear a few weaknesses. The most notable of these are the facts that they are easy to lose, they can break, and they can be stolen. Key fobs were a good advancement, but they had many of the same weaknesses as keys. Fortunately, the digital age has given us unparalleled wireless capability. It was only a matter of time until this could be leveraged to carry car security to the next level.
And sure enough, last year saw the arrival of the next generation of keyless access. BMW’s digital iPhone key lets you use FaceID or TouchID to unlock your vehicle’s door and start the engine. Hot on their heels was Jaguar with the Activity Key, a wristband that drivers tap against their vehicle to open the driver’s seat and the boot. Based on their performance during testing and a launch, we may very well be seeing the advent of an age where car security is tied to your person rather than to an easily misplaced item.
Upgraded air purification systems
Now that air purity is a major health concern for all, large strides have been made in the realm of in-car air purification. Chief among the innovations were that of Jaguar Land Rover, whose planned cabin features include a purifier that can filter out as much as 97 percent of harmful pollutants. Its HVAC system incorporates nano X technology courtesy of Panasonic to achieve this effect.
Panasonic’s new and improved HVAC tech makes use of Hydroxyl radicals produced by high voltages, dissipated throughout the car within water molecules. This powerful purifier is coming soon to Jaguar and Land Rover models, such as the I-PACE and Discovery. If cabin air purity is your priority, be sure to look out for these incoming car makes and models using a car sale listing site. Dealerships can capitalize on trendy new techs like this by selling at a high markup, so you’d want to get the best possible deal available in your area.
Novel clean fuel options
By the turn of the century, auto R&D was already hard at work trying to think up ways to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicles. Valiant efforts were made in the fields of electric vehicles and alternative fuels. But while clean, these vehicles come with their own problems. Biofuel is expensive to produce, and EVs are still not quite as cost-efficient and autonomous as their conventionally fueled counterparts.
But just last month, BMW kicked off the test runs of their new hydrogen fuel cell cars. These spectacular vehicles run on hydrogen gas, and produce only water vapor as exhaust. While not quite satisfying the fantasy of being able to run a car on a tank full of liquid water, these cars are the next best thing. The tests are subjecting the cars to everyday use conditions, and BMW hopes to use these hydrogen fuel cells to raise the efficiency of EVs and other clean fuel autos.
The growth of the auto industry heralds good things to come with regards to vehicle tech. With an upward trend of this degree, we can expect many more successful innovations from here on out.
