6 revolutionary technologies shaping the future of cars

Up and coming car technology

From crab driving to cinema screens and EV charging robots, the gap between fantasy and reality is getting smaller when it comes to technology in cars.

With manufacturers constantly working towards something new, there’s a lot of automotive technology coming our way.

Think the unthinkable. The kind of technology that almost sounds too good to be true.

Imagine if your next car lease featured a cinema screen, or if you could pull up to a charging point in your electric car and a robot could charge it for you.

If you’re interested in what the automotive future could look like, here are six of the most exciting and futuristic car technologies that you could expect someday, if not soon.

1. Hyundai’s e-Corner ‘Crab Driving’ Tech

Are you petrified of parallel parking?

If you’ve ever pulled up to a space and lost the ability to perform the tricky manouever, Hyundai has developed a solution to your problem.

Say hello to ‘e-Corner’ technology.

The system allows the wheels to turn 90 degrees meaning the car can walk sideways, just like a crab. Therefore, when anxiety starts to take over at the thought of having to parallel park, you can get your car to slot right into a parking space.

The tech is also capable of diagonal driving as it can perform a pivot turn. This is where the front wheels stay put and the back of the vehicle swings into place.

Not only will it make parking easier, but it’ll also allow you to turn around without having to move forwards or backwards. It’ll also be useful if you need to get out of a tight space.

Hyundai only recently unveiled the fully functioning prototype of its e-Corner system, so unfortunately you won’t be able to say goodbye to your parallel parking nightmares for a while.

2. 2023 BMW 31-inch theatre screen

If you love going to the cinema, you’ll love BMW’s ‘Theatre Screen’ for the backseat passengers.

Only available on the 7 Series or electric variant i7, it’s an optional feature. So, you’ll have to pay extra if you want your own personal cinema, but it’s certainly an impressive piece of kit and won’t be a purchase you regret.

Every journey will come with an outstanding and immersive entertainment experience thanks to the 31-inch, ultra-wide, 8k resolution BMW theatre screen. It even comes with a 4D sound system that makes the seats vibrate, creating an enveloping environment.

Passengers will be able to watch content from various apps like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime. They’ll also be able to stream music, games and watch live TV with the 5G wireless connection.

Models come with a moon roof and interior window shades to block out the light, creating a real cinema-like interior. The theatre screen is a big touchscreen but there are also touchscreens mounted in the doors so that you can control the screen right from where you’re sat.

3. Genesis face recognition

Genesis is the first manufacturer to offer keyless entry through face recognition.

Facial recognition allows the car to be locked and unlocked without the need for a physical key (except for the first time where you’ll set up your profile for facial recognition).

You might think that’s a bad idea, considering someone could just hold up a photo of you and get access to your car. But to actually start the car, your fingerprint will need to be provided using the built-in scanner.

We’re sure you’ll be pleased to hear about this futuristic feature, especially if you’re one to forget your keys and spend 10 minutes looking for them – this’ll be a big time saver.

4. NIO battery swap

With concerns around range anxiety and the life span of EV batteries, the Chinese manufacturer NIO have come up with a different way to charge our electric cars.

Meet NIO’s Power Swap Stations.

These clever Swap Stations are capable of removing the battery from your car and replacing it with a fully charged one. It also works like a self-service swap, so you don’t have to move a muscle!

The whole process takes about five minutes - a lot quicker than waiting 40 minutes for a fully charged battery. The stations hold 14 batteries, and these get charged up pretty quickly, so it’s unlikely you’ll be waiting around for one to be ready.

With plans to launch in the UK next year, battery swapping will be revolutionary and should change the way people perceive electric vehicles.

5. Colour changing BMW

Could you imagine changing the colour of your BMW lease car to match your outfit or the occasion?

This BMW morphs into different colours on demand, just like an exotic chameleon. It can switch to 32 different colours and form striking patterns.

The concept car uses E Ink technology and is the same material used on an Amazon Kindle screen that allows you to read in the sun. The prototype has 240 separate colour cells which can all change individually and when signaled to do, bring different pigments to the surface.

So, with a push of a button, you could go from white, to pale green, to bright pink or to red with racing stripes, whatever colours you want!

Having just recently teased car fanatics with this magical concept, there are no plans at the moment for it to be made available for the public so don’t expect to see the colour-changing tech on our roads anytime soon.

Hyundai EV charging autonomous robot

Hyundai have developed an automatic robot that will be able to charge your EV for you.

The robot will be capable of opening the cover of the charging port, picking up the charging cable, plugging it into your EV’s charging port, unplugging it, and then closing the cover.

How does it work? Using 3D camera-based artificial intelligence, the one-armed robot will be able to effectively communicate with your electric car.

According to Hyundai, the robot is designed to improve accessibility to EVs and EV charging, especially for those with mobility barriers.

The speed of charging is a big hurdle in the greater adoption of electric vehicles, so as cables become thicker and heavier to accommodate development in high-speed charging, this robot will transform the transition to electric for a lot of people.