7 Innovative Car Tech Trends For 2019

With the new year approaching, new technological innovations are emerging. Our phones and houses are all “smart” and the many technological advances in the auto industry are slowly converting our cars to be the same.

Many people are making the switch to smart technology and for good reason. Not only do they make your lives easier with hands-free technology, but they also make it safer. Advances in new car safety safety features and upcoming car technology are helping people be better drivers, and keeping them safe when they aren’t.

Have you considered making the switch yet? If not, here are 7 examples of new car tech that will make you want to sell your old car today. Whether it be for an upgrade with the coolest and latest gadgets, or for elevated safety for your growing family. You might be surprised to find out what cars can do now.  

The Future of Car Tech

1.Echo Auto

First on our list is the new Amazon Auto Echo, expected to be released at the end of 2018. It allows you to do almost anything without ever taking your attention off the road or your hands off the wheel. It’s like Siri for your car. You can use your voice to plan your day by setting reminders, adding items to your shopping list, making calls, and checking your calendar.

It can also help you get to where you need to go. By simply asking it for directions it will connect to Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze on your phone. On the way to your destination you can ask the Echo Auto to play your music or a podcast, find the nearest gas station or grocery store, or check the news.

This upcoming car technology is a great option for someone who wants to upgrade their car in the new year, but not buy a new car.  

2. Side Mirror Cameras

This new car tech is currently being implemented into concept cars and will only be available in Japan when first released. The side mirrors on cars are being replaced by small cameras that show a live feed on the road behind you on two small screens underneath the cars A-pillars.

It looks very similar to a regular side mirror, just smaller and sleeker, for a more aerodynamic design. The idea is that the new design will result in better fuel economy from creating less drag.

The cameras are supposed to provide a high quality image to the driver that shows a better view of the road than mirrors and aids in lane-changes and rearview driving.

This future automobile technology will not be seen in the U.S. anytime soon as it is not yet legal here, but Lexus and Audi hope to be one of the first to offer if when regulations are changed.

3. Self-Driving Cars

Autonomous cars are no longer a futuristic idea, but rather a quickly emerging new technology. In fact, it is predicted that there will be 10 million self-driving cars on the road by 2020.

So what is it that’s making self-driving cars so popular and how do they even work? While your first thought may be of yourself taking a nap in a self-driving car on the way to work, there is actually another reason for their popularity. They could reduce the amount of traffic accidents by 90%.

There’s something called Lidar technology, or Light Detection and Ranging, that enables the car to “see” its surroundings. It’s similar to sonar and radars but uses laser light pulses instead of radio or sound to scan the surrounding environment. Lidar is also much faster allowing the vehicle to make quick decisions, maybe even quicker than the driver can. Especially when they are distracted.

Self-driving car technology is expected to be a huge innovation for both safety and convenience to drivers. Volvo has even designed an autonomous concept car with a design that will increase the convenience factor. Instead of the typical rows of seating, it has two chairs, a small couch, and table. Before you know it you’ll look forward to your long morning commute.  

New Car Tech That’s Making Our Drives Safer

4. Airbags

You’re probably wondering “how can there be technological advances in airbags?” Maybe not much has changed in design but rather in placement. External airbags are now being developed to deploy on the outside of vehicles during side impact collisions.

They are far from hitting the market as making airbags deploy in the split second before a crash happens is difficult. However, Lidar technology, along with others, are what automakers are hoping will make this possible.

Once accomplished it is expected that external airbags could reduce occupant injury by up to 40%. I don’t think anyone would argue when we say we need more car tech that creates those odds.  

5. Collision Warning System

You’ve seen the commercials. A woman is driving down the road when all of a sudden a kid runs out into the street chasing a soccer ball. The car suddenly stops, the kid picks up his ball and walks off, and the woman takes a second to catch her breathe before driving off.

Thanks to the collision warning system the car had, the woman was alerted with enough time to stop. This car tech can sometimes be mistaken for technology that stops the car on its own, but what it really does is alert the driver if a collision is imminent. With so many distractions, such as our phones, you’d be surprised what a simple alert can do.

This new car safety feature is literally saving lives as most types of collisions were lowered 11% and the rates of injury crashes went down 21%, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2017.  

6. Active Park Assist

A car feature that has already made its way into many makes and models. It makes the daunting task of parallel parking much easier by doing most of the work for you.

It uses a similar radar technology that self driving car technology uses to “see” its surroundings. Once you find a spot to parallel park the system will advise you to pull forward next to the car of which you will park behind. Once your car is in the right position you put your car in reverse and let the car do the work. You just have to idle the car to keep it at the proper speed and park it when it’s finished.

It seems like a simple task for a car to do for you, but it’s helpful for the drivers that have trouble with this task, such as first-time drivers and the elderly.  

7. Alertness Monitoring

This car feature is important for people who typically have long commutes. Alertness monitoring, or Drowsiness Alert, can determine when you are drowsy and will alert you with a dashboard signal.

It tracks your commute with sensors and is able to determine how often you swerve from the center of your lane. If you swerve a certain amount of times in a specific time period it will then alert you.

There are a few ways in which your vehicle will be able to alert you such as through a dashboard signal that displays a coffee cup, recommending you to take a break. Some cars may have audio systems that alert you through sound and others may cause the seat to vibrate.

When people listen to their alertness monitoring systems is when this car technology works best. Based on its set of skills, it has a pretty good idea of when to alert you, but after that it’s up to the driver to make the responsible decision to stop somewhere.  

Sell Your Car

Do advances in car tech make you ready to sell your car and buy a new one? If so, sell your car to 1-800-Cash-For-Junk-Cars! We can get you cash for your car in as little as 24 hours and it only takes three easy steps.

First, call us at 1-888-416-2220 or fill out our online form for an instant offer. We will give you an offer based on the information given about your car and expertise from our certified car buyers. With over 35 years of experience you can be confident you’re getting the best offer from us.

Second, when you accept our offer we schedule a time to pick up your vehicle that is convenient for you. With nearly 200 locations we can usually pick it up the same day and free of charge.

Lastly, you get paid at time of pickup. No curbside negotiations, just cash for your car!

Not only is making the switch to a more advanced vehicle fun, it’s also important for your safety and the safety of others around you. You also don’t have to worry about breaking the bank because most of this new car technology has already been out their for a few years.

So when you are ready to upgrade give us a call!