The Future of Electric Vehicle Innovation
The all-electric vehicle is widely regarded as the future of the automotive industry. But exactly does that future hold? Let’s take a look at a few of the key trends helping to shape the future of this kind of vehicle, and the industry more generally.
Advancements in Battery Technology
One of the things that’s made battery-electric vehicles viable over the last decade or so is the ever-increasing efficiency of the batteries that power them. According to Our World in Data, battery prices have tumbled by around 97% over the last three decades. At the same time, energy density has been skyrocketing – to the extent that problems like range anxiety may soon be a thing of the past.
In more recent years, new kinds of battery, like the solid-state battery, promise to bring things forward again. This technology means more energy, lower costs, and less weight – which, in the world of transport, is a major advantage. Among the more vocal proponents of this shift has been Honda, which has recently announced its intention to commence trials for solid-state EVs in 2025.
Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Connectivity
Generating the power for the vehicles is one thing – but what about the controls for steering them in the right direction? The car of the future is likely to rely more and more on automated controls, with a driver playing an increasingly marginal role.
You might think of the Internet-of-Things devices that currently collect key data from your vehicle and report it back to the manufacturer. It might be that in the not-so-distant future, these devices might allow your vehicle to seamlessly exchange data with other, nearby vehicles, as well as things like traffic lights. This can help to drive up efficiency, improve road safety, and ease congestion.
Auto repair software can also be integrated with these devices, allowing mechanics and drivers alike to check in with their vehicles, and ensure that everything is running as it should. This might allow faults to be detected earlier, which can make repairs simpler and more affordable.
Sustainable Manufacturing and Recycling Practices
One of the more notable downsides of the electric vehicle is that the creation, and disposal, of batteries is extremely challenging. In order to reduce the carbon footprint of the industry, new ways for recycling older batteries will need to be devised.
The easiest way to repurpose an older car battery is to use it for other purposes. For example, as National Grid suggests, you might hang it on the wall of your garage, and use it to store energy you’ve collected via solar panels and wind turbines.
Expansion of Charging Infrastructure
For electric vehicles to be widely adopted, motorists will need to be confident that they can charge their vehicle somewhere convenient. Successive governments have therefore committed to expanding access to charging, and developing new ways to charge a vehicle extremely quickly – or, wirelessly, using inductive charging. You might imagine a car park that intelligently dispenses power to every vehicle that sits on it.
Innovations in Vehicle Design and Materials
Material science is sure to play a role in the vehicles of the future. Prototyping using 3D printers is already commonplace – and the same technology might also be used to create smaller, internal components that don’t need to cope with mechanical stress.
