Automotive

3 Tips for Choosing a Future Proof Vehicle

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While we aren’t all navigating flying vehicles such as the Spinner from Blade Runner, which was inaccurately predicted, one thing the movie did get right was the effect of climate change and the human effect on the environment. One of the major contributors to global warming has been our insatiable appetite for transport such as planes, trains, and automobiles.

Great strides have been made in low polluting technologies and the auto industry is at a threshold of change, not just saying it, but putting plans into action that will greatly reduce all harmful emissions from vehicles, mostly because of government legislation. 

The future of cars is bright and with modern technology advancing at a rapid pace as well, with concepts such as the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, you might need to consider what your next vehicle can and cannot do, as depending on where you live, it could even be obsolete in as little as 10 years.

When choosing your next car you will definitely need to consider the following things:

  • Renewable Fuel
  • Emission Counts
  • Technological Integration

Alternative energy and renewable fuels are a massive topic at the moment as we lean towards a cleaner future which also factors in the emissions that come from any vehicles and new technologies are being integrated into cars as they become more advanced and open to digital communication protocols.

Renewable Fuel

Biofuels or renewable fuels have been around for some time now but they aren’t being used as much as they should. Made from such things as plant-based fats, derivative oils, and grease, by people like Geoff Hirson of Renewable Fuels LLC, biofuels such as biodiesel are widely available for use in vehicles with a diesel engine. 

Biodiesel and standard diesel are essentially the same product but have been made from completely different substances which greatly affects their pollution rates. Standard diesel pollutes around 50% more than biodiesel which will greatly add to your carbon footprint, so when choosing a new car, you might want to consider a diesel vehicle over a petrol engine, especially when pollution bans begin to come into effect in most countries by 2030.

Emission Counts

The driving force behind most of the impending changes regarding transport is the number of carbon emissions that a particular engine or propulsion system expels. Biodiesel is considered a relatively low polluting fuel and one that could be beneficial since all but the most polluting diesel engines are expected to survive the combustion engine ban that is coming.

It has recently been reported that 28% of the world’s toxic carbon is emitted from vehicles which is why governments are pushing for an engine ban so quickly. Petrol engines can still be purchased but you would be wasting your money and a diesel engine would be a better option. However, an even better option would be an electric vehicle since even the cleaner biodiesel outputs 2,500 grams of carbon per gallon whereas an electric car will emit zero, not including their production footprint. 

Technological Integration

The 21st Century has seen a major shift in how technology is integrated into vehicles. Not only in the drive systems themselves, which are mostly digital now but driver/vehicle interaction and even vehicle to vehicle interaction. As manufacturers implement Industry 4.0 standards and begin to develop vehicles for the Internet of Things, helped along by smart devices and data exchange services such as 5G, cars are essentially becoming smarter and smarter all the time, even allowing for driverless vehicles and prototype flying taxis.

But your own devices are also becoming more integrated with the driver experience for optimal results and some vehicles in the future will even require connection to smart devices to start. You would be doing yourself a disservice by purchasing a low-tech vehicle as many of the best cars now offer tailored experiences that make driving a more personal interaction with ease of use technologies such as user recognition and voice control through systems such as Alexa.

Image Courtesy of Pixabay

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