Over the next week, MLive.com/Auto will explore new technologies expected to shape, and reshape, the U.S. auto industry through a new series called "Car Tech." The technologies range from windshield wipers and safety features to diesel engines and infotainment systems.
MLive.com will explore new technologies expected to shape, and reshape, the U.S. auto industry through its new series called "Car Tech." (courtesy GM)
DETROIT, MI- Technology in vehicles – from engines to entertainment – is changing faster than any time in history.
As the U.S. automotive industry recovers from a 30-year low in 2009, officials say technology breakthroughs, customer demands and government regulations will force changes on the vehicles of the near future.
“Vehicle technology is changing faster than it ever has before and it has forced a new way of thinking for the manufacturers,” said Karl Brauer, editor in chief and CEO of Total Car Score. “If people change cars every five years … the cars are far more obsolete by the time they’ve changed than they would have been in year’s past.”
Demand for change creates a contradiction for automakers, Brauer added. They're building vehicles to last longer, but by lasting longer they're outlasting changing technology, particularly for in-vehicle infotainment systems.
Over the next week, MLive.com/Auto will explore new technologies expected to shape, and reshape, the U.S. auto industry through a new article series called "Car Tech."
The technologies – a number showcased by Robert Bosch LLC, a wholly owned Robert Bosch GmbH subsidiary, during its Flat Rock Car Clinic in late-September – range from windshield wipers and safety features to diesel engines and infotainment systems.
Here’s an overview of the series:
- Friday: Infotainment: How automakers are merging information and entertainment features in vehicles
- Saturday: How new wiper blades can help your car’s fuel efficiency
- Sunday: Making safety sexy: How your vehicle will make you want to be safe
- Monday: 2013: Year of the diesel?
- Tuesday: New technologies driving vehicles prices up
- Wednesday: 2020: What will your vehicle look like?
Check back to MLive.com each morning for new articles. Follow the series here or on Twitter with #CarTech.