5 car innovations that are right around the corner Posted on : Aug 13 - 2018

While smartphones get thinner and faster, developments in the car industry are changing the world.

Whether it’s electric vehicles emitting less harmful fumes, or artificial intelligence making autonomous cars a reality, these innovations will have the biggest impact on your life.

Ready to get excited? These are the five biggest automotive innovations that are right around the corner.

1. IMPROVED ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Before electric cars can become truly mainstream, their range needs to be able to compete with internal combustion engine vehicles. This can be done with either higher-density batteries or supercapacitors.

Supercapacitors could have a sufficient energy density to comfortably surpass the 300-mile range that current electric vehicles top out at. So far, research has shown they’re more energy-dense than lithium-ion batteries, holding 180 watt-hours per kilogram compared with 100-120 watt-hours of traditional lithium-ion.

Which technology is the automotive industry likely to go with? That remains to be seen, but Elon Musk has said a breakthrough in electric transportation is more likely to come from supercapacitors than from batteries.

2. QUICK AND WIRELESS CHARGING

While we’re on the topic of batteries, it’s the perfect time to talk about charging tech. If car companies do choose to go down the supercapacitor route, electric vehicles could recharge in minutes rather than hours.

Driving from London to Scotland? You might only have to stop for 10 minutes rather than the 40+ minutes currently needed to recharge.

There are also several companies working towards wireless charging, which would make owning and living with an electric vehicle much easier. View More