Technology evolves at such a rapid pace; it can sometimes be hard to keep up with what’s new and what isn’t!

Given that most nations and the car manufacturers within them are placing increasing emphasis on developing “greener” cars, the future of automotive technology is mainly focused on manufacturing vehicles that boast the latest fuel-saving technology.

But apart from saving the planet, car manufacturers also want to develop new features that aid drivers and their passengers, making their vehicle models more appealing than the competition’s.

So, what sort of environmentally-friendly and technologically-advanced features are we likely to see in future models? Take a look at what some car manufacturers and technology industry figureheads have been working on so far!

Wireless charging

It’s no secret that one of the reasons that put people off buying plug-in electric cars is that the public charging infrastructure is still very much in its infancy.

Electric cars have an extremely limited range before needing to be recharged, and so it is essential that the public charging infrastructure is in place to encourage growth in this industry.

At present, owners of electric cars have to charging their vehicles with conductive cables attached to “charging stations.”

But the future of electric car motoring could be revolutionised sooner than one might think, thanks to the work being put in to develop practical wireless charging solutions!

Rather than plugging a cable into your electric car when it needs charging, you simply park in a specific bay that has wireless conductors fitted underneath the tarmac.

And thanks to existing successful experiments, the whole road network could be fitted with such infrastructure, allowing for wireless charging on-the-go!

Autonomous driving

Google, Volvo and other companies with a vested interest in the technology have been developing systems where cars can drive themselves!

According to Stan at www.easternwestern.co.uk, autonomous driving technology could be available to consumers on a mass scale within the next few years.

In the United Kingdom, transport ministers are currently rewriting the rules of the road to incorporate rules for driverless cars. Three states in the USA have already done so, such as California, where Google has been successfully testing autonomous driving technology by adapting a fleet of cars over the years.

The thought of not being in control of their cars might fill many people with fear, especially if they are driving at high speed, but technology companies and vehicle manufacturers assure us that the technology is quite safe.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communications

If the cars on our streets will soon be smart enough to drive themselves, it makes sense for them to have the ability to talk to each other.

For example, some vehicles ahead on a particular stretch of road can notify others behind them about any obstructions in the road, traffic delays and so forth.

Such communication technology will offer the occupants of all cars quicker ways to get to their destinations, as they know in advance what roads to avoid and when. Pretty cool, huh?