10 Historical Car Predictions That Came True & 10 Future Features Already In The Works
The Prophecies That Came True
It’s easy to poke fun at predictions and prophecies, but sometimes they come true. In the past, lots of people had hopes and ideas about cars and what they would become in the 21st century. With hindsight, here are the shocking predictions that came true, as well as futuristic innovations scientists are working on today.
1. Flying Cars
Ever since The Jetsons, the people of the past have been fascinated with the concept of flying cars. In reality, early models of this concept exist, and some of these models have even been approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Although they have a long way to go before becoming commonplace, they are certainly in the works!
2. Self-Driving Cars
During the retro era, many believed we would have driverless cars. While most of us only have a few features, we know that fully-fledged artificial intelligence cars do, in fact, exist. While these cars are mostly for the private sector, such as taxi services, for the time being, we can expect to see more of them soon.
3. Electric Cars
The thought of a car running on anything aside from fuel was a rare thought; however, some remained hopeful. Nowadays, electric vehicles and hybrids are all the rage and are surprisingly affordable and accessible for everyday people. Just wait till you hear what futurists think will power our cars moving forward.
4. GPS Systems
The predictors of the past had high hopes for the capabilities of futuristic cars. In 1955, a magazine discussed how these cars would take advantage of electronic devices that would identify obstacles and help streamline traveling.
5. All-Wheel Drive
Ironically, decades before four-wheel-drive cars entered the marketplace, many enthusiasts were already talking about the possibility. Most retro-futurists hoped these cars would become everyday vehicles, and they were right to think so.
6. Heavy Cars
In 1958, an article discussed the future of electric vehicles and explained how the large battery would weigh a ton and bog down the car. Technically, they were right, as cars have retained most of their weight. Luckily, the future has plans for lightweight cars.
7. Talking Cars
If you fondly remember movies like Knight Rider and how cool talking cars are, well, you’ll be pleased to know that such cars do in fact exist. With the inclusion of virtual assistants like Siri and Google Assistant, many of us are able to talk to our cars whether it’s to change the music or set a route.
8. Affordable Luxuries
Famed inventor Thomas Edison predicted that cars would eventually become affordable and commonplace. He was also eager to see a world with a major reduction in horse-based injuries. While there are fewer horse-related injuries, we still get into plenty of accidents.
Vitali Adutskevich on Unsplash
9. No More Traffic
This one didn’t quite come true, but surprisingly, many historical folks thought all their traffic problems would be solved once horse-drawn carriages were taken out of the equation. Turns out you can cause as much traffic with cars as you can with wagons. But technically, they were right about fewer carriages around.
10. An End To Horses
This might not seem like a major problem, but it was a big annoyance in the 19th century. Horse-drawn vehicles would create traffic jams, be super noisy, and leave pollution in the form of horse manure. Early car enthusiasts were hopeful that automobiles would eventually replace horses, and they were right.
Now that we have talked about the past predictions that came true, here are 10 exciting future car technologies scientists are working on right now!
1. Mind Control Cars
While self-driving cars are a thing that already exists, some believe we will be able to control cars simply with our thoughts. This relies on advancements in brain-machine interface technologies but will allow drivers to simply think of turning left and have their car follow suit.
Samuele Errico Piccarini on Unsplash
2. Holographic Dashboards
The look of a car's interior can be a dealbreaker sometimes, but think how cool your vehicle will look when the dashboard and information system is replaced by an immersive holographic projection. Through augmented reality elements, scientists hope to create futuristic displays that effectively enhance the driving experience without affecting safety.
3. Transformers
Some believe cars will be able to shapeshift. Rather than changing into robots like the movies would have you believe, they will instead shift their look and exterior to suit outside conditions. For instance, the vents might adjust in the face of rain, or heated glass will appear to replace the usual exterior when faced with the cold of winter.
4. Solar Powered Cars
Why stop at electric vehicles when we can take power sources much further? Futurists believe alternative sources of power will become quite common, and one top contender is solar power. A few well-placed panels ensure your car is constantly charging, even when you’re on the go.
5. Advanced Materials
Instead of the typical metals, futurists predict cars will be made of advanced materials such as graphene and carbon fiber. These lightweight and exotic materials will streamline the look of cars and allow them to pull off fast aerodynamic movements. Similarly, the lights will be replaced by OLEDs, giving them quite a futuristic look.
6. Solid-State Cars
Currently, many electric cars are limited by their vicinity to charging stations, making long-distance travel a difficult feat. This is why many believe solid-state batteries will reach a point where they are able to power cars exclusively. By relying on these batteries, cars will also become lightweight and will charge in mere seconds.
7. Temporary Designs
If you’re familiar with augmented reality, think of the cool VR touch screens or holographic images seen in movies. In future cars, these augmented reality display systems will allow you to customize the exterior of your car like a phone screensaver. You can switch it up whenever you like!
8. Self-Cleaning & Self-Repairing
Imagine all the maintenance and cleaning trips you’ll spare yourself if your car is capable of self-cleaning and self-repairing. Well, some futurists believe that cars in the future will be made of materials that can self-repair and self-clean, making things like sealing cracks or maintaining a glossy coat burdens of the past. Impressively, there are already materials being worked on that are able to deflect and repel dirt.
9. Levitating Cars
Instead of outright flying, many believe cars of the future will instead levitate through magnetic technology. This slight levitation will make traveling a smooth experience and will remove issues posed by uneven terrain or potholes. In China, they are already test-driving cars that float 35 mm off the ground.
10. Common-Place Flying Cars
While flying cars are technically something that already came true, they are far from being commonplace. Many futurists believe we will one day achieve cars capable of vertical take-offs and landings. Many are excited to see how that could change the face of international travel and are hoping to see major advancements in the next 50 years.
