If you’ve listened to my show or read my newsletter for a while, you know I’m a car gal. There really isn’t much rhyme or reason to my car collection; you might see me rolling around in my 1946 Chevy truck, 1964-1/2 Mustang or 2015 gull-wing SLS Mercedes. My daily ride is my G-Wagon.
I always pay special attention to the automotive tech at CES. Sure, this year’s show in Vegas revealed flying taxis and Honda’s DMC DeLorean clone. But let’s check out some of the tech coming to our cars sooner rather than later. I’m talking about things like:
- BMW’s 32-inch dropdown screens — they’re cool, but keep a barf bag handy.
- Volkswagen’s new climate-control system begins to heat or cool as the driver approaches.
- Forget heated seats for EVs. Soon, we’ll have heated seatbelts and steering wheels that can increase an EV’s range on cold days by up to 15%.
What else is on the way? Let’s dive in.
¡Ay, car-amba!
You’re driving down the highway and the car alongside you changes colors from black to white. You’re not losing your mind. It’s going from heat-absorbing black to a reflective white to deal with the blazing sun.
Sounds like sci-fi, but BMW is experimenting with a car covered with “digital ink” that can switch to one of 32 colors on the fly. Yes, I def would make sure my car matched my nails.
Drive-thru discounts
Ever used an E-ZPass toll? That same RFID technology can allow your car to pay for your fast-food order, and some people are thinking even bigger — like the Volvo VP who said they want their cars to become “essentially just like Apple Wallet.”
Look, Ma! No hands!
Cars will be equipped with a sophisticated array of sensors, along with multiple high-resolution cameras, advanced ultrasound features and radar systems. Plus, LiDAR technology will be baked in for precise distance mapping and AI-driven analytics.
- AR dashboards: On your windshield, you’ll see restaurant reviews, hotel room rates and more. Get this: If anyone walking on the street is in your contact list, your windshield will “highlight” them in a bright color.
- Connected vehicles: These high-tech cars communicate not only with each other but with road systems, too, helping to reduce traffic jams and accidents. Eventually, one car will be able to “tell” another car where the potholes are located!
- Autonomous driving: Sit back and relax. It’s coming, and it will work.
- Smart tires: Get real-time alerts on tire health and road conditions.
- Biometric access and start: Say goodbye to keys with fingerprint or facial recognition for car access.
- Car wheels: They’ll rotate 360 degrees so you can finally parallel park.
- AI-enabled voice chat: Get directions, music selections or just have someone to talk to on a lonely drive.
Cars will even know when emergency services vehicles are on the road. Yes, that means they’ll hear your commute karaoke, too.
Dude, where’s my car?
All this tech also means our cars become even more vulnerable to hackers. A new smart car runs with over 100 million lines of code.
Thankfully, next-gen cars will likely get software updates automatically from manufacturers. I just hope they don’t come as annoying pop-ups in the middle of my windshield as I’m about to make a left-hand turn.
🅿️ The other day, I had to go to my local city hall to finalize the permits for my new house. Just when I found the perfect parking spot, a cop came up to me and said, “Ma’am, you can’t park there. That’s for our politicians.” I replied, “It’s OK! I locked my car.” He didn’t laugh.