The evolution of cars is happening at a breakneck pace. But while EV and self-driving cars get all the attention, there are some exciting developments in advancing the state of car features to expect in the near future.

Here is our top list of the potential new car features we’re most excited about.

• Changing the exterior color at the touch of a button, which may be useful for escaping the scene of a crime or matching your car to your formal evening dress. The way it works is that the car is covered in a giant e-reader display with millions of microcapsules filled with paint. When the car’s electric field is changed, the color changes.
• Heads-Up Display, which is a holographic image of key information at the driver’s eyesight level. This allows the driver to maintain his or her focus on the road rather than having to look down for the information.
• Anti-bacterial, dirt-repellent coatings on the car’s interior, as well as detachable seats for easier cleaning.
• Wheels with legs to climb stairs, which may prove valuable for the elderly or handicapped who find it difficult to descend a building’s front steps. It’s also useful for rescue operations, allowing it to transport people and supplies closer to where they are needed.
• Tires to reduce sound for a quieter ride.
• Regenerative braking, which transfers the kinetic energy captured during deceleration or braking to an EV battery to store and use later to power the electric motor.
• Vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which may be used to prevent impending accidents. For example, when one vehicle runs a red light, enabled cars can send warnings to drivers of both cars, allowing them to respond accordingly. This feature will be dependent upon a 5G network.
• External airbags, which are meant to stop a vehicle before a collision happens, as well as reduce the impact of a crash should it occur. These airbags will be deployed underneath the car to help it stop faster.
• Biometrics that allow the use of a car owner’s eye or fingerprint to unlock doors and start the engine. Voice command and facial recognition may soon follow.
• Solar-paneled roofs to power the car.
• Controls that monitor the driver’s mood (reading facial expressions, heart rate and blood pressure) and respond with actions like activating the seat massage, turning on calming music or adjusting the interior temperature control to change the driver’s mood—all with the objective of reducing the chance of road rage.

It’s a far cry from Henry Ford’s dictum that customers can have the color car they wish as long as they want black…

Please reference disclosures at: https://blog.americanportfolios.com/disclosures/