Human society is constantly moving forward with new inventions and advancements in the Automobile industry. With all the different kinds of information constantly coming being bombarded onto us it becomes hard to keep up with the ever-growing plethora of new and improved technology. We have listed some of the biggest and most groundbreaking advancements in the automotive industry, and what we can expect from the future.
Fuel Efficiency
Since the start of the beginning era of automobile, gasoline and fossil fuels have been, the only, and later on the most attainable form of fuel. For the better part of the history of the automobile industry, no alternative to these fossil fuels was present. With the turn of the new century awareness of the effects of fossil fuel on the environment starting becoming more widely known this, in addition to the fact that these fuels are not renewable and hence will run out, the world as a whole has started to look for cleaner more sustainable alternatives. Over the past decade or so companies have been pouring in millions of dollars into researching clean sustainable energy sources for the automobile industry.
Companies like Tesla have introduced electric cars into the market, with their Tesla Model 3 being the most sold electric ever, with 500,000 units sold, as of 2020. These cars are a much more fuel-efficient alternative to fossil fuel burning automobiles, a much cleaner, and sustainable alternative as well. These electric cars need only be charged once and they can be driven several hundred miles before needing another charge. Furthermore, research teams have come up with prototypes that have significantly less charging time and hope to bring these prototypes to the market soon. Research is also being done in hopes to replace the standard liquid-state electrolyte of car batteries with solid-state electrolytes. since, unlike liquid-state, electrolytes solid-state electrolytes do not catch fire when overheated they are also much safer.
But even these new-age electric cars have fuel issues of their own. The biggest problem with the energy of the electric car is battery life; just how far the car can be driven before the battery runs out. Companies realize the importance of having long-lasting batteries in electric cars, and hence there is ongoing research to try and improve the lifespan of electric car batteries.
Despite their flaws, eclectic cars have much to offer; Safety, fuel efficiency, clean and sustainable energy. All these things make electric cars a much better alternative to the traditional gasoline-fueled automotive. In the future, we hope to see more and more of these new-age electric cars on the road.
Autonomous Cars
Autonomous cars are simply self-driving cars. Self driving car technology has been a topic of human fascination for decades, with self-driving self-aware cars being commonly seen in spy and superhero movies. Now with the number of adavcanmets the human race has achieved as a whole, these Hollywood fantasies are slowly becoming a part of everyone’s daily lives. Companies have slowly begun introducing self-driving options in their cars.
Autonomous cars fall into five levels, level 1 being where only one aspect of the car is autonomous and level 5 being where the car is entirely self-driving in any given environment. Unfortunately level 5 cars are still not available, to the public but companies and researchers have be trying their absolute most to make level 5 cars available for manufacturing. In level 1 to level 2 self-driving cars, the human driver is in control of most driving decisions, while in levels 3 upto level 5 the main decisions are made by the vehicle.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Much research is and has been done in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning, especially in terms of bringing these things into the automotive world. Technologies like the Machine Learning technology can help in the personalization of the driving experience, based on the person diving the car.
Machine Learning can be in self-driving cars. Autonomous Cars need assistance to drive safely through traffic and even on relatively empty roads. Machine Learning is extremely important in self-driving cars. The aim of self-driving cars is to make the driving experience safer, easier, and more stress-free; and most importantly to reduce the amount of human surveillance during the drive. In order for this to happen the vehicle must constantly be gathering data and learning from it; hence the name Machine Learning. Machine Learning greatly increases the amount of safety provided by the autonomous and thus results in an increase in trust shown by the customers in the autonomous driving vehicle.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is another important advancement in the field of automobile industry, and just like MAchine LEarning it also ties closely to self-driving cars. Just like Machine Learning AI technology makes it possible for the vehicle to collect data from the surrounding, using sensors and cameras, and make the driving experience safer on a whole. Since there are different levels of driving automation, from level 1 where human assistance is heavily required and only one aspect is automated to level 5 where the vehicle is fully self-automated with no need of any human assistance, the degree to which AI technology involved in the self-driving car also differs.
Both Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are often met with raised brows by the general public, the latter more so than the former. People are still somewhat skeptical to rely on a self-learning and often self- deciding machine when it comes to driving. Hopefully, these things will be more acceptable in the future. Because both Machine-Learning and AI technology aim to make the driving experience safer for everyone involved.
