4 Car technology trends to watch out for in 2017
2017 should be quite a year for the car industry. It’s expected to kick off a number of significant car technology trends, including talking cars and an improved battery life on electric cars. It will also test some technologies to see if they can withstand the test of time, including diesel and hybrid vehicles. It will be an exciting time to buy a vehicle.
Let’s take a look at four car technology trends to watch for in 2017.
Cars that talk
You’ve probably heard of self-driving cars, but have you heard of talking cars? Sports sedans from Cadillac CTS come with a unique system that lets the vehicle share information on everything from weather conditions to sudden breaking and more. It’s the beginning of a car technology trend known as vehicle-to-vehicle (or V2V for short) communication. (Think of it as wi-fi for your smartphone, but for cars.) Your vehicle will be able to anticipate what’s up ahead on the road and out of sight. Expect this to be standard on all cars one day. This will allow vehicles to drive in packs or “platoons” – just like birds.
The electric car market just got a lot more crowded
Electric car technology isn’t anything new – it’s been around for years. The two things that that have really stopped it from taking off is the higher price point and the poor battery life. That could all change in 2017.
The Chevrolet Bolt is expected to be a game changer. The Bolt has two unique selling propositions: the ability to travel an impressive 238 miles (383 kilometres) on a single charge and an attractive price point of under $30,000 USD. The Bolt is expected to give vehicles like the Ford Escape and Honda Accord a run for their money.
The Bolt isn’t the only electric vehicle expected to make a splash in 2017. The Kia Soul and Volkswagen e-Golf are upping the ante on their battery life as well. And don’t forget about Tesla, the company that took electric cars mainstream. Its highly-anticipated Model 3 at an attractive price point should give the Bolt plenty of competition. 2017 will be an interesting year for the electric car to say the least.
The end of diesel cars?
Could 2017 spell the end of diesel vehicles? Diesel vehicle sales took a beating from the highly-publicized Volkswagen scandal, which saw the auto manufacturer allegedly cheating on its emissions testing. With electric cars primed to take a portion of the market from diesel cars, 2017 could be a make-or-break year for diesel vehicles. But the big auto manufactures aren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. Chevrolet and Mazda are both coming out with diesel vehicles in 2017 that boast better fuel economy and performance. Will they sell like hotcakes or be duds? Only time will tell if this car technology trend will end.
A renaissance for hybrid vehicles?
Hybrid vehicles look to get a decent boost with the adoption of the 48-volt electric system. The 48-volt is an upgrade from 12-volt systems. It features shock absorbers, heated seating and steering wheels, among other features.
Bentley Bentayga is currently the only vehicle available with the 48-volt system. Look for that to change in the near future, as other auto manufacturers of hybrid vehicles adopt it.