Edmunds predicts that five automotive technologies will have a significant impact on how we drive. They include:
- Connected Cars – Updated maps, dentist
local services and listings, information pills
real-time traffic information and much more are now available from your dashboard. Features like Ford’s Sync system and connected navigation. - Next-Generation Head-Up Displays – Holographic Laser Projection (HLP) display information on the windshield and infrared cameras “paint†the edges of a road during low visibility.
- Advanced Driver Assistance Systems – Lane-departure warning, prostate forward-collision warning, blind-spot detection and pedestrian detection can help protect drivers from even themselves.
- In-Car Apps – Soon drivers will be able to download a wide variety of apps to create customizable dashboards, navigation, communication and entertainment options within their vehicles.
- Telematics and Tracking – Voice activation, text-to-speech technology, audible RSS feeds, and vehicle tracking systems are being upgraded and developed.
 
These technologies or their alternatives will, without a doubt, Â have a significant impact on the car of tomorrow and how we interact in the future. The questions begin around how these experiences will actually be implemented.
As an example, the “connected cars†experience may be implemented in a number of ways. There is a large portion of the industry proposing that vehicles will have embedded mobile data connections to provide the most stable data connection.
Will consumers be willing to pay for a dedicated data connection in their car, in addition to the one they have on their phone? Or, will tethering work seamlessly enough to allow a smart phone connection to be used for this connection, for the mass market – perhaps with an additional charge from the carrier. If not, the data over voice connections possible today are a viable option for low bandwidth services. However, this will limit the applications and potential experiences, including in-car apps.
 There is a great future for the experiences that will be enabled by these technologies. It’s the rollout and implementation plans that are still very unclear. What is the best approach for the short-term and long-term? How will companies provide the best overall experience for the mobile, vehicle and fixed-internet experiences? Is there actually a difference between these? We have number of companies in Southern Technology Leaders that are deeply involved in these areas. Join the discussion on our private group.