The last few years brought people more technology than anyone could believe. And that isn’t just because of your smartphone or desktop. The technology that goes into cars has only gotten better and better, making driving an enjoyable experience.
It’s not a chore to get stuck in traffic anymore. It’s a chance to see what your car can do! New technology has improved the sound of the music you play on your commute. New heads-up-displays are giving drivers information seamlessly and unobtrusively. Collisions aren’t accidents anymore. Instead, they’re technology slipping up.
And best of all, high tech autos are only getting cheaper. It may not be long until you’re driving in a carbon-fiber, sleek car talking to a built-in virtual assistant.
Keep reading for some of the most exciting features included in cars today.
Heads Up! The Display’s on the Windshield
You may be used to looking down at the dashboard to see how fast you’re going. All the information you could ever need has always been right behind your wheel. Unfortunately, that spot can be hard to entirely see if you’re driving. Looking at it also takes your attention away from the road.
To help you keep your eyes on the road, car manufacturers started beaming all the information you need right onto the windshield. In a move right out of a sci-fi movie, you don’t need to look at the dashboard anymore. Instead, your miles-per-hour, fuel, and accelerometer are all displayed holographically in front of you.
Tinting Your Car Just Takes A Push of a Button
Electronic tinters are also letting people take complete control of their cars. Tinting your windows used to be an expensive and costly process. It could only be done by licensed and professional automotive experts.
Now, you can choose how dark you want your windows, and change it at a moment’s notice.
Just like how you can push a button to roll your windows down, high tech autos allow you to select how dark you want your ride to be with just a button.
Quieter Engines Make for Sleeker Drives
Improvements in hydraulic technology have not only made engines faster and more powerful. They’ve also made them quieter, even if you’re not driving an electric car.
Modern car designs account for an engine’s sound by installing parts that act as mufflers. The engines themselves have also reached a level of precision which make them much quieter than older cars. It used to be that pistons and levers each had variable masses, resulting in louder noises. Now, engines are built with so much precision that everything weighs the same, resulting in less noise.
High Tech Auto Repair is Much Easier
You’ve probably had to face the menacing orange glow of a check engine light before. The indicator is ambiguous, and all it does it scare the driver. It doesn’t tell you whether your engine just exploded, or if you just need an oil change. All it tells you is that something’s wrong.
Now though, the computers that monitor car components are advanced to give you complex warnings. Whenever something goes wrong internally in your car, it doesn’t just tell you to check the engine. It may specify that a certain part needs to be changed. It may also tell you whether something is wrong with your suspension or, any other parts of the car.
Not only does this mean less worry for you when the light goes on, but it’s also less work for auto repair shops. Since they don’t need to look for the problem, they perform less labor. That saves you money.
Accidents Are Getting Harder To Get Into
Two new technologies are helping people avoid accidents, and stay safe in them. The first, automatic braking, is exactly what it sounds like. Cameras throughout the car monitor for fast-approaching objects. If they get close enough, the car automatically hits the brakes, making sure the driver doesn’t hit it.
Most of these automatic braking technologies come as a result of advancements in machine learning. That means your car can soon think just like you do when you drive.
The second technology is just as important if less as fancy. More cars are being built with carbon-fiber frames. Carbon-fiber used to be an expensive material to build with, saved only for exotic cars. In fact, it helped make exotic car transport easier, since it’s extremely durable. Now though, carbon-fiber is being used in modern cars, making them more durable in accidents.
Turn Off the Lights, Turn On The Night Vision
One of the most advanced features of modern cars is the development of night vision. While turning on the fog lights may help people see on long, dark roads – nothing helps like night vision.
When it’s on, a night vision view usually displays on the car’s monitor, next to the dashboard. It’s a real-time feed of what a night-vision camera is seeing as the car drives, helping people identify if something is coming up they need to brake for.
Surround Yourself With Surround Sound
Car rides aren’t only getting safer, they’re also getting more fun. Actual surround sound has become a staple in modern cars. This technology has less to do with advancements in audio technology though, and more with some clever interior design.
Surround sound depends on more than just high-quality sound. Speakers must also be placed strategically throughout an area to literally surround a person with sound. Car designers have done just thought. Speakers have been placed throughout the sides of the car and in the dashboard. Some cars feature speakers above a driver, while others place them in the console.
All the different speakers do more than just surround a person with sound. They can also dull out noise from outside.
The Future of High Tech Auto Technology is Here
All this high tech auto technology is more than just exciting. It’s also affordable and is being adopted in more mainstream vehicles right now. That means you may not even need to buy an exotic car to get some of these features, or some of the others not mentioned.
There are cars with heated windshield wipers to melt snow and ice. Others will respond to your voice. The amount of new auto technology is simply immense, and more features are being added every day.