What the Future of Connected Cars Looks Like

Do you remember the days when we were simply happy to have a car that came with a great sound system? Now that seems like an ancient feature of the past, thanks to what’s known as “connected cars”. If you’re not familiar with what that is, a connected car is simply a vehicle that has the capabilities to be “plugged in” to the internet and oftentimes a local wireless network too. This way, individuals who are riding inside of the car are able to do the same things that they could with their internet connection at home or wherever there happens to be a Wi-Fi connection.

Connected cars are becoming so popular that over the past several months, they have remained in the headlines. Many well-established car manufacturing companies such as Ford are in the process of rolling out new models and a recent report indicated that nearly one in every three households are interested in purchasing a connected car. This is a big part of the reason why the newer connected cars are starting to have such a sleek and modern look.
Take the automobiles that were recently on display at the three-day connected cars L.A. Auto Show, for instance.

Most of the vehicles featured things like electronic dashboards (so that individuals can auto sync their navigation, phone and audio features); software that integrates close to 100 microprocessors (that’s actually more than what is inside of the F35 fighter jets) and self-driving technology. In fact, BMW, Audi, and Volvo have plans to release semi-autonomous systems at some point in 2014 and Cadillac has recently announced that it will introduce that Super Cruise—an automobile that will allow hands-free driving while on the highway. Many connected cars will also have navigation services that will provide drivers will the ability to access local maps featuring shopping, dining and forms of entertainment that they can check out while en route.

Yes, all of this sounds absolutely amazing although there are some concerns to consider as well. Say that you bought an exotic car from the company In Sixth Gear that was classified as being a connected car. For one thing, you would need to look into the driving laws within your state as it directly relates to what is permissive when it comes to connected cars. Also, you would need to factor in that connected cars (at least for now) are somewhat pricey. That’s because just like the internet connection at home comes with a monthly bill, there will probably not be a one-time fee for connectivity any time soon. You will probably have to pay that monthly too.

Yet to many who want to be able to check their email and surf the internet while they’re going from one destination to the next, the payment will probably be worth it due to the convenience that it offers. At least, that is what car manufacturers are betting on.

Indeed, cars have come a really long way and even in the midst of some fine-tweaking, it appears that the future of connected cars is really bright. Lucky for us, driving is far more sophisticated than it used to be. Lucky for us, indeed.