Analysis: Significant Vehicle Innovations Just Over Horizon

Aug. 14, 2018—In analysis of automotive innovations that are to be unveiled in the not-too-distant future, t3.com pinpointed multiple features.

Among the vehicle upgrades that the technology-focused website noted:

• Improved electric vehicles. Before electric vehicles, or EVs, can become mainstream, their range needs to rival that of vehicles with traditional, internal combustion engines. But it appears that can be accomplished with either higher-density batteries or supercapacitors, t3.com noted. Supercapacitors, in particular, have sufficient energy density to comfortably surpass the 300-mile range that current EVs top out at.
• Vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which is essentially cars talking to each other, could make roadways dramatically safer. With this technology, your vehicle could react in milliseconds to any changes in speed made by a car in front of it, for example. Plus, the technology could reduce the frequency of traffic jams, and reduce accidents. V-2-V communication could also provide drivers with notifications to warn them of potential hazards before they come into view.
• Improved Artificial Intelligence. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are likely to be the main force behind autonomous vehicles. A big challenge that self-driving vehicles will need to overcome is reacting to unique situations with traffic and road conditions that change constantly, and that’s where AI could play a key role. Manufacturers will likely utilize machine learning to make self-driving vehicles react like a human driver. Some of the largest auto manufacturers are investing heavily into AI research, and developing learning systems that can record a driver’s habits so that vehicles can adjust accordingly.