What will cars be like in 40 years' time?
Discussion
I am a reasonably well-known defender of older cars on here.
Have you noticed that many on PH seem to assume that high performing, reliable, safe, economical and comfortable cars suddenly appeared on the planet around (insert date of birth here) as if by magic.
There seems to be limited acceptance of the evolutionary process that got us from Carl Benz's Patent Motorwagen of 1888 to the present day. Along the way we saw rapid developments in technology, build quality, safety and convenience that mean cars of today have so much we take for granted.
So, my point of discussion is this: what do you think will be features of the cars of 2060 that will be taken for granted and that will make today's cars look flimsy, badly finished, slow, dangerous or ugly?
I'm not so much concerned by motive power (although I fear the idea of burning something that was once alive will be ridiculed), but more about the fundamentals of car design that render today's 40 year old cars - ie, those from the 1970's and 80's - the butt of many a PH comment like "how did they only get 200bhp from a 2-litre in 1987?", "build quality of a fag packet" or "what - no air bags at all?". You know the sort of thing.
Discuss.
Have you noticed that many on PH seem to assume that high performing, reliable, safe, economical and comfortable cars suddenly appeared on the planet around (insert date of birth here) as if by magic.
There seems to be limited acceptance of the evolutionary process that got us from Carl Benz's Patent Motorwagen of 1888 to the present day. Along the way we saw rapid developments in technology, build quality, safety and convenience that mean cars of today have so much we take for granted.
So, my point of discussion is this: what do you think will be features of the cars of 2060 that will be taken for granted and that will make today's cars look flimsy, badly finished, slow, dangerous or ugly?
I'm not so much concerned by motive power (although I fear the idea of burning something that was once alive will be ridiculed), but more about the fundamentals of car design that render today's 40 year old cars - ie, those from the 1970's and 80's - the butt of many a PH comment like "how did they only get 200bhp from a 2-litre in 1987?", "build quality of a fag packet" or "what - no air bags at all?". You know the sort of thing.
Discuss.
Theres a topic in GG at the moment that's quite interesting.
For those learning to drive or passed their test you always used to be able to pick up a cheap s
te 20yr old small car with an MOT for a few hundred quid.
Inevitably these would become part of the youth movement in keeping them on the road and create clubs and interest and whatever and a portion of these would be kept as sentimental value for years to come, even if the car was essentially cheap and mass produced.
I think the 2009 scrappage scheme essentially killed that. These would've been the "last" cars made that you could still easily work on without the requirement for computer controlled everything 1995-2005.
It's difficult to know what's going to happen in 40yrs time. I suspect car ownership won't be a thing. Gears will be unheard of, maps simply won't exist (they barely do now), lights and wiper controls won't exist, all that will be automatic. Handbrakes controlled by the driver won't exist. Doubt opening bonnets will exist, car keys certainly won't exist.
ETA - rear view mirrors. They'll be long gone.
For those learning to drive or passed their test you always used to be able to pick up a cheap s
te 20yr old small car with an MOT for a few hundred quid. Inevitably these would become part of the youth movement in keeping them on the road and create clubs and interest and whatever and a portion of these would be kept as sentimental value for years to come, even if the car was essentially cheap and mass produced.
I think the 2009 scrappage scheme essentially killed that. These would've been the "last" cars made that you could still easily work on without the requirement for computer controlled everything 1995-2005.
It's difficult to know what's going to happen in 40yrs time. I suspect car ownership won't be a thing. Gears will be unheard of, maps simply won't exist (they barely do now), lights and wiper controls won't exist, all that will be automatic. Handbrakes controlled by the driver won't exist. Doubt opening bonnets will exist, car keys certainly won't exist.
ETA - rear view mirrors. They'll be long gone.
Edited by Ambleton on Wednesday 19th October 16:57
No controls. A single voice activated screen to tell where you want to go. Entry gained through biometric data.
Crash structures will no longer be required with fully automated driving. Material selection to reduce weight beyond recognition. Graphene? Polycarbonate replacing glass throughout, can be activated to give full privacy or full visibility.
Wheels fully enclosed and very narrow. Pneumatic tyres replaced with composite innards and compliant wear resistance outer casing.
Tiny, but powerful batteries charging in the same time to fill a tank now. Powered by local fusion plants reducing infrastructure and creating personal energy independence.
Maybe more than 40 years away.... but it won't I oact me....
Crash structures will no longer be required with fully automated driving. Material selection to reduce weight beyond recognition. Graphene? Polycarbonate replacing glass throughout, can be activated to give full privacy or full visibility.
Wheels fully enclosed and very narrow. Pneumatic tyres replaced with composite innards and compliant wear resistance outer casing.
Tiny, but powerful batteries charging in the same time to fill a tank now. Powered by local fusion plants reducing infrastructure and creating personal energy independence.
Maybe more than 40 years away.... but it won't I oact me....
Ambleton said:
Theres a topic in GG at the moment that's quite interesting.
For those learning to drive or passed their test you always used to be able to pick up a cheap ste 20yr old small car with an MOT for a few hundred quid.
Inevitably these would become part of the youth movement in keeping them on the road and create clubs and interest and whatever and a portion of these would be kept as sentimental value for years to come, even if the car was essentially cheap and mass produced.
I think the 2009 scrappage scheme essentially killed that. These would've been the "last" cars made that you could still easily work on without the requirement for computer controlled everything 1995-2005.
It's difficult to know what's going to happen in 40yrs time. I suspect car ownership won't be a thing. Gears will be unheard of, maps simply won't exist (they barely do now), lights and wiper controls won't exist, all that will be automatic. Handbrakes controlled by the driver won't exist. Doubt opening bonnets will exist, car keys certainly won't exist.
ETA - rear view mirrors. They'll be long gone.
I agree with everything you said except the scrappage scheme which killed a lot but not everything by along chalk.For those learning to drive or passed their test you always used to be able to pick up a cheap s
te 20yr old small car with an MOT for a few hundred quid. Inevitably these would become part of the youth movement in keeping them on the road and create clubs and interest and whatever and a portion of these would be kept as sentimental value for years to come, even if the car was essentially cheap and mass produced.
I think the 2009 scrappage scheme essentially killed that. These would've been the "last" cars made that you could still easily work on without the requirement for computer controlled everything 1995-2005.
It's difficult to know what's going to happen in 40yrs time. I suspect car ownership won't be a thing. Gears will be unheard of, maps simply won't exist (they barely do now), lights and wiper controls won't exist, all that will be automatic. Handbrakes controlled by the driver won't exist. Doubt opening bonnets will exist, car keys certainly won't exist.
ETA - rear view mirrors. They'll be long gone.
Edited by Ambleton on Wednesday 19th October 16:57
What will cars look like in 40 years - don't really care, I'll be 109 and pushing up the daisies
Skyedriver said:
What will cars look like in 40 years - don't really care, I'll be 109 and pushing up the daisies
My problem is that in 40yrs time I'll (probably/hopefully) be coming to my last few driving years. I'll be 72. I dont really care much for current cars. In fact, my interest is in 50s/60s cars. In 40yrs time, these cars will be pushing 100yrs old and I suspect will be almost unusable through fuel, insurance and pollution taxes.
Watcher of the skies said:
Mostly they'll be just appliances. In the same way as you don't take any interest in your fridge or washing machine now, it'll be the same for cars.
This, I fear. Also, I wonder whether the idea of a "car" as we know it - a personal device for getting around, whenever and wherever we want - will cease to be. Instead will be available a fleet of "personal mobility solutions" available on subscription, owned not by the users but buy third parties. A bit like the City Car Club-type arrangements, where you pay for the use of the vehicle.Sounds joyless, doesn't it?
The stock answer for "What will cars be like in 40 year's time" has always been either "Self driving" or "Flying" - and has been since the 1950s. Now you may have noticed that we don't HAVE flying cars and nore do we have self driving cars (we have experimental ones but we've had those since the 1950's too).
Personally I think the answer is "Much like today's cars, just probably made from biopolymers rather than metal, and probably hydrogen power cell powered electric". I mean today's cars aren't really THAT different to those built 40 year's ago, in the 1980's or even 80 year's ago, in the 1940 (especially if you look a Jeep Wranglers or Land Rover Defenders
)*.
I'd like to hope common sense will kick in and we'll move back to more 'normal' car shapes, you know the ones that are quite aerodynamic so can go further for the same amount of energy rather than the flying bricks that are currently en vogue. I'd also like to see a lot of the pointless weight removed, like the 6+ heavy electric motors you NEED in your driver's seat (and generally use just the once when you first get the car and adjust the driver's seat).
Many people LIKE driving. They always have and always will. Many people LIKE to be 'in control' and HATE 'being controlled' and again that's always been the case and no reason to assume it will change. Sure, more and more driving automation will be added and has a place, like when you're just going to be sat on a motorway for 6 hours getting from A to B - but there will also always be 'self drive' options because people will still want to just 'go for a drive'.
Personally I think the answer is "Much like today's cars, just probably made from biopolymers rather than metal, and probably hydrogen power cell powered electric". I mean today's cars aren't really THAT different to those built 40 year's ago, in the 1980's or even 80 year's ago, in the 1940 (especially if you look a Jeep Wranglers or Land Rover Defenders
)*.I'd like to hope common sense will kick in and we'll move back to more 'normal' car shapes, you know the ones that are quite aerodynamic so can go further for the same amount of energy rather than the flying bricks that are currently en vogue. I'd also like to see a lot of the pointless weight removed, like the 6+ heavy electric motors you NEED in your driver's seat (and generally use just the once when you first get the car and adjust the driver's seat).
Many people LIKE driving. They always have and always will. Many people LIKE to be 'in control' and HATE 'being controlled' and again that's always been the case and no reason to assume it will change. Sure, more and more driving automation will be added and has a place, like when you're just going to be sat on a motorway for 6 hours getting from A to B - but there will also always be 'self drive' options because people will still want to just 'go for a drive'.
- Actually while said in jest look at the US and two of the biggest sectors are pick-ups and SUVs, both of which are still built "body on chassis" rather than "monocoque" (for tax reasons), so they aren't THAT different from cars built 100 year's ago!
Edited by //j17 on Thursday 20th October 10:00
vpr said:
I know what is coming very soon.
Automatic speeding fines. Modern cars will automatically tell the authorities that you’re speeding on any given road.
This is an interesting one. Whether or not the cars do, the capability to do it is. One of the purposes of the Galileo satelite system is to enable charging for road use; your car will have a chip, you'll be charged based on the roads you use and the time you use them (government has to replace that fuel duty somehow!). The ability to track time and location comes with the ability to track speed, if they can do it why wouldn't they? However, once everyone realisess that getting penalised for speeding is a certainty, they're likely to stop doing it. Hopefully this will lead to better road discipline and a higher motorway limit. Unfortunately it'll mean a day at the track if you want to get any speed thrills.Automatic speeding fines. Modern cars will automatically tell the authorities that you’re speeding on any given road.
I Quite like the thought of trully autonomous cars, fold the seats down into beds, jump in, program the sat-nav, go to sleep and wake up the next day in Saint Tropez! Not only that, I'll be able to get bladdered down the pub, and let the car drive me home
Dave Hedgehog said:
the political end game for the car is ZERO personal ownership
at best you will be able to "uber" a self driving car to you
It will also be interesting to see what impact the metaverse(s) has on people's need/desire to travel, which we've already seen to a small extent the the pandemic. Dave Eggers has an interesting idea of the direction things might go in his book "The Every".at best you will be able to "uber" a self driving car to you
Chris
Dave Hedgehog said:
the political end game for the car is ZERO personal ownership
at best you will be able to "uber" a self driving car to you
Have you seen what some people do with their cars?at best you will be able to "uber" a self driving car to you
I've had colleagues where you'd want a hazmat suit before stepping into them. In some case it was sales people who lived most of their working lives in their car and didn't seem to clean out the detritus of sandwich/sweet wrappers, take away cartons ... that sort of crap much of which was festering. In other case parents of young kids who never thought to try telling their precious little monsters that it's not a good idea to grind half gummed biscuits into the seat and then up end a beaker of juice over the top for good measure.
If we move to a system of self driving pods which go from one customer to another they are going to need to return to base for a thorough cleaning before it will be safe to pick up the next person.
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