Where is the Automotive Industry Headed?

   

    The automotive industry has changed hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Throughout its rich 134 year history, the automobile has become more powerful, smaller, faster, cheaper, and more economical. It seems that everything possible has been done. And yet, many car companies continue to innovate and revolutionize the industry. So where is the industry headed now?

    First, we must look at the innovations that are currently being worked on by car companies. Tesla has been striving to create the first autonomous vehicles in the world. They were also the first ones to unveil an electric car that became a global hit. It has also caused many countries to start building recharging stations so that electric car owners can recharge while on a trip. Toyota made the the first hydrogen powered car in the world. The hydrogen car, called the Mirai, Didn't become the hit Toyota expected it to because there were not enough places to refuel a hydrogen powered car. I don't doubt that, given time, hydrogen fuel stations will become commonplace. It will take more than one manufacturer making hydrogen cars to bring about this change though.

    Next, laws have limited emissions and other byproducts of cars.  This has caused car companies to look for new solutions. They have continued to make cars more environmentally friendly and economical. Cars became smaller to save weight that might cause the engine to burn more fuel. Engines became more compact and have been coupled to electric motors and turbochargers to generate the same amount of power with less fuel. Cars now use less petrol through the use of computer systems like the program to shut off a cars engine while at a standstill or shutting down some cylinders while driving at a constant speed. More car companies have  started to make hybrids and fully electric cars than ever before. Audi came out with the E-Tron and Mercedes with the EQ. Ferrari built its first hybrid car, the SF90. All of these new cars hint at a future with alternative fuel sources being predominant.

    Lastly, Mercedes has also announced that it will stop innovating the internal combustion engine (ICE). This is big news since the ICE was actually invented by Mercedes when they patented the first car. They have been at the forefront of ICE innovation and the announcement can only mean that Mercedes is looking ahead and starting to innovate what it thinks the future will be run on- electricity.

    The future might be uncertain in the automotive world. But one thing is for certain- everything will have changed. The sounds of engines purring will be replaced by the silence of electricity. The world will benefit from less pollution, but will lose the excitement of hearing an engine roaring down the street. People will talk about this period like we talk of the 1950s and 1960s.