For those of us still driving an ’06-plate Ford Fiesta, it can be difficult to imagine the tech that exists in cars today. The innovations that are now added as standard to new models are vastly different to those seen in older motors. And, as technology moves rapidly, we’re likely to see even more high-spec additions in the coming years.
From smart cars that link to our devices to advanced safety tech, there are plenty of updates and forward-thinking solutions that are set to become everyday tools in our motors. And as we head towards phasing out traditional fuel and switching to electric, we’re going to see huge leaps in how we get around.
Where we are
We know that advanced tech is likely to make some significant changes to the motor industry. But in order to understand the significance of these changes, it’s important that we know what stage we’re at right now.
In the UK, car production has slowed in 2022, with around 100,000 fewer cars built in the first quarter of the year compared with 2021. This is the result of rising energy costs and a global shortage of computer chips. With manufacturers struggling to source semiconductors and other components that are needed for new cars, the rate of production has become an issue.
How advancements in tech will impact the workforce
As well as the shortage of semiconductors – also referred to as microchips – the advancement of electric vehicles could put workers in the car manufacturing industry out of work. There are predictions that those who have trained up and worked for decades putting together all the technologies that work with a combustion engine will be redundant by the time we’re all electric. This is because we won’t need those technologies anymore.
However, while things seem grim, there’s potential for the predictions to balance out. We’ll still need workers to re-train and learn to adapt to the new technologies being brought by car makers. If employees in the car manufacturing sector can pivot and utilise their skills in the incoming change of motoring tech, we’ll be set for the coming years.
The ways tech will help society
And we need these workers to pivot. The future of motoring lies in technological advancements and this tech will be incredibly significant.
For instance, smart tech in cars has the potential to boost the safety credentials across different cars and vehicles, while going electric is already seen to be a greener alternative to traditional petrol and diesel cars.
New revenue streams and jobs will also open up as we see more tech introduced to our motors. There will be money to be made in IoT and remote diagnostics, while those in the motoring industry will train up and work in these new roles.
So, while we’re seeing significant change right now, the future looks bright for motoring tech.
