MOVE OVER flying saucers, Auto Trader has released designs for what it predicts cars will look like in 2050 – and it’s going to put the ‘class’ in ‘business class’.
- Auto Trader reveals its predictions for what cars will look like in 2050
- By 2050, cars will be fully autonomous, electric, and kitted out for hosting meetings, skype calls, and getting work done on the commute
- The 2050 car is a driverless vehicle in the shape of a smooth pod with all the necessary tech for getting down to business
- Auto Trader’s Car of the Future design and full report, including a timeline of the evolution of the car can be accessed here
The UK’s largest digital marketplace for new and used cars, Auto Trader, has released concept designs for what it forecasts vehicles will look like 30 years from now – based on the expertise of futurologist Tom Cheesewright, the rate of technological development, market trends, and research into consumer demand.
Auto Trader’s 2050 concept car is a fully electric and autonomous vehicle which provides passengers with a spacious interior that’s geared up for business activities, as well as offering a range of technologies that allow passengers to customise their ‘driving’ experience.
The spacious cabin is setup with an inward facing seating arrangement, ideal for hosting meetings on the go. Almost 1 in 5 (17%) said they’d use the space to get work done whilst on the commute and 8% said they would host conference calls whilst in the vehicle.
The car has in-built Wi-Fi capabilities – a feature that 29% of drivers said they would want access to – and the interior is kitted out with a large in-built TV, ideal for Skype calling or giving the slide deck a final check before that all-important meeting.
The 2050 vehicle also features 360 degree panoramic windows with black-out functionality that can be activated with a quick tap; a handy feature to remove glare on the TV screen whilst delivering presentations on the go.
Featuring ‘digital paint’, the car allows passengers to change the colour and style of the car from the tap of an app, a feature that could enable professionals to alter the colour of their vehicle to match their brand colours. Advances in technology suggest this feature could be widely available as early as the year 2040.
Passengers can also relax on the built-in mattress while in transit between meetings or catch up on some much needed sleep whilst returning from late-night events or office parties – a feature which 24% of motorists said they’d use.
Catering to the 10% of drivers who want cars to be fully voice operated in future, the car welcomes passengers with a friendly AI that helps them set their preferred driving speed and style, whether out for a leisurely drive showing clients the local sights or dashing to a meeting.
The 2050 car is fitted with windows that extend right over the roof in one large bubble, offering more head room to allow professionals to freely move around during transit. The social setup and added headroom also provides the ideal environment for car-pooling which would help ease rush hour congestion.
Auto Trader’s Rory Reid comments: “The government’s recent announcement on bringing forward the ban on sales of petrol and diesel cars to 2035 is already influencing what Brits are looking for. Overnight we saw a 165% increase in searches for electric vehicles on Auto Trader. So it’s no surprise that the 2050 car will be fully electric, but it’s fascinating to think what these advancements, including driverless tech, could mean for the actual design of cars and how they could be used.
“The development of autonomous vehicles could completely transform the role that cars play in the business world, enabling motorists to reclaim the commute and fully make use of their time en-route to meetings and events. We can see the car of 2050 becoming an extension of the office, creating new levels of efficiency within the workplace.”
Futurologist, Tom Cheesewright, adds: “Tomorrow’s car takes you from A to B with minimum fuss and in maximum style. Future technologies will give designers free reign to create more space and comfort, so that we can get on with our lives while an AI takes care of the driving. While our cars won’t be flying any time soon, we can all benefit from cleaner, quieter, safer roads. In just twenty years, the age of the combustion engine will be well and truly over.”
Partnering with the world’s first applied futurist and leading futurology author and speaker, Tom Cheesewright, Auto Trader’s Cars of the Future report combines motor industry forecasting with a survey of 2,142 UK drivers, to build a picture of the future of the car industry 10, 20 and 30 years from now.
Auto Trader is the UK’s largest digital marketplace for new and used cars.
To view Auto Trader’s Car of the Future design and full report, including a timeline of the evolution of the car, please visit www.autotrader.co.uk/content/features/cars-of-the-future