(Akiit.com) Driving has come a long way in the last couple decades alone – we all drive greener and safer vehicles with power steering, parking assistance and digital diagnostics now the norm. Recent innovations such as smart technology and electric charging could mean that cars will be very different in the future, which could make driving a completely different experience. Here are just a few predictions as to what the future of driving could look like.
Your car will drive you
A number of self-driving cars are already in testing with plans to have them on the roads in the next 5 years! Tesla Autopilot is just one example of this. At first, self-driving cars are likely to be a novelty – it’s likely it will be mainly taxi companies, delivery companies and emergency services using them. However, once the technology is affordable and the issue of liability has been solved, it’s likely many of us will be buying these cars for personal use. Until 
then, parking is thought to be the main process that will be automated – many cars have already started to bring this self-parking technology in.
Your car will react to the environment
Smart technology could allow cars to react to the environment. This could include headlights that automatically turn on when too dark, windscreen wipers that automatically wipe the windows when raining and even traffic warnings and other news about your route as your driving.
The environment will react to your car
On top of this, the roads may start reacting to our cars. Companies like Smart City have already started implemented smart technology into urban planning – Smart City uses data and technology to create roads that react to cars such as streetlights that only turn on when cars are present and speed limits that change depending on the traffic. This could help to maintain the flow of traffic and keep energy costs down.
Most cars will be electric and they’ll be self-charging
Electric cars are growing in popularity and countries around the world are encouraging their usage by offering drivers special privileges such as free charging in areas and even use of bus lanes in some cities. Right now, the technology is limited – such cars can only travel a short distance on a single charge and require hours to charge up. However, in the future this could all change. Companies like Sion have already unveiled the first solar-powered electric car – such cars still need to be regularly charged at a charging station, however solar panels can help to supplement energy whilst driving allowing these cars to charge up less often. Perhaps in the future, cars will be able to run entirely off solar energy and we’ll never need to charge up, saving us money and time.
Retro driving will become a thing
As driving becomes smoother and more automated, it will become a completely different experience – people may not even need to take a driving test. Some people may turn to retro driving to relive the independence and rudimentary nature of traditional driving (the same way that some people today love classic cars). It will likely be a niche interest, but traditional driving will live on.
Staff Writer; John Brown