How Have Automobiles Changed over the Last 10 Years?
From robotics on the factory floor to driverless vehicles, the auto industry has changed significantly over the last decade. Here, we look at some of the biggest industry-wide changes, including improved car safety and enhanced fuel economy.
Electric Cars
Despite the 2010s being touted as the decade of self-driving cars, with industry giants like Ford promising autonomous vehicles by 2017, the reality proved rather different. Unexpectedly, global impetus shifted to developing electric car technologies, creating sustainable alternatives to gas-fueled cars, as well as producing hybrid vehicles, providing the best of both worlds.
In 2010, no one would have predicted that Tesla would go on to sell 1.5 million electric cars, or that Ford would produce an all-electric Mustang capable of completing a 300-mile journey on a single charge.
Today, it is widely accepted throughout the auto industry that, in the span of the next two or three decades, the bulk of the 100-million plus vehicles built each year will be electric.
Navigation Systems
Once the remit of luxury cars, car navigation systems are included as standard on most new cars today.
Just a decade ago, a car navigation system cost the astronomic sum of $2,500, placing it beyond the reach of many drivers. With considerable investment in navigation technology over the last decade, systems have not only become much more affordable, but advanced exponentially, benefiting from improved accuracy and the addition of touchscreen technology. A report published by Berg Insight Research suggests that somewhere in the region of 155 million vehicles feature dashboard navigation systems today.
SUVs
In the last decade, SUVs have soared in popularity. There are more than 150 SUV models available for sale today globally, from compact, affordable models to luxury SUVs produced by the likes of Porsche and Bentley.
SUVs have grown increasingly popular for several reasons. Not only do they provide enhanced safety and comfort, but many SUV models also offer a substantial amount of usable space. Since SUVs are among the most profitable car models, they are particularly attractive to car manufacturers, meaning they are unlikely to fall from favor anytime soon.
Fuel Economy
Just 10 years ago, gasoline cost $1.78 a gallon. Over the last decade, gas prices have skyrocketed, at times costing upwards of $4 a gallon. Not only have these massive increases amplified demand for electric and hybrid models, but they have also forced manufacturers to invest in improving fuel-efficiency.
With gasoline prices still at a premium, whether a buyer is in the market for a sedan, an SUV, or a truck, fuel economy is likely to be a major consideration. Almost universally, car manufacturers have strived to improve fuel economy in recent models, culminating in a 30 percent increase in fuel efficiency in cars produced today compared with those manufactured in 2003.
According to Auto Alliance, the average fuel economy of an American automobile increased from 19.6 MPG to 25.4 MPG between 2003 and 2018. Auto Alliance also reports that, between 2012 and 2018, the number of cars capable of achieving 30+ MPG increased by 70 percent; the number of cars achieving 40+ MPG rose by 300 percent; and the number of cars reaching 50+ MPG increased by 200 percent.
Improved Safety
A decade ago, most cars had two airbags. Today’s cars typically incorporate at least four airbags, with some models featuring as many as 10 or more airbags incorporated in the interior of the car. Some manufacturers are even developing exterior airbag systems to mitigate damage and injury in the event of a collision.
Today’s cars are safer than ever before, integrating life-saving safety features such as side and head-protecting airbags and stability control. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), while the occupant fatality rate per 100,000 for passenger cars produced in 1997 is 17.81, in 2017 models, that rate falls to 10.05 per 100,000. The NHTSA highlights the impact of improved occupant protection and crash avoidance technology in terms of reducing fatalities on American roads.
Today’s vehicles are laden with cutting-edge technology, working away behind the scenes to protect drivers and passengers. Modern ABS systems prevent the car’s wheels locking when the driver brakes heavily. ABS systems ensure that braking force is evenly distributed when the car is cornering, reducing the risk of the car skidding, and enabling the driver to continue to steer effectively.
Traction control is another electronic system designed to improve safety, reducing wheel spin when the car is accelerating, maintaining safety when driving on snow, ice, or in heavy rain, working in tandem with the ABS system to slow the car if a wheel loses traction until it regains it again.
Collision warning and pedestrian detection systems are other recent additions, detecting hazards and warning drivers to reduce the risk of accidents. Lane departure and blind spot warnings rely on laser, radar, and camera technology, warning the driver if there is a car in their blind spot.
Future Innovations
Some of these changes were predicted in advance, while others may have come as a surprise to consumers and industry leaders alike. It will be interesting to see what innovations will be appear in the decades to come.
