It’s the break of a new year, and we’re seeing more and more of technology and how it’s changing and shaping the world. In fact, at the rate it’s going, you may not even realize it. See, there are now AI-powered cars, grocery delivering robots, everything you need to make your life easier. Technology companies like Google are busy coming up with new prototypes for autonomous vehicles to be launched in the near future. Carmakers like Ford, Volvo and BMW are at the forefront of launching integrated car systems for their customers. It’s a remarkable time to be alive. There is no doubt that technology is changing the face of the automotive industry.

So, what can we expect from technology in the automotive industry for the year 2019? Here are 5 innovative breakthroughs we expect to become mainstream realities much sooner than you think.

1. The rise of the ride hailing transit

Sure, ride hailing services have been around for a while now, and they’re getting bigger. But the fact remains that the government isn’t really ready for the full implementation of ride-hailing services. See, Malaysia’s roads are not really designed for the ride-hailing experience; namely, blocking the lanes of traffic while picking up or dropping off passengers. It’s not sustainable, although the ride hailing services themselves are beginning to do something about it. We hope to see the likes of Grab partnering up with public transport services like the MRT or LRT to give passengers a more better transit experience and to finally solve that age-old traffic problems plaguing most of the urban population.

2. A truly smart car

Carmakers are trying their best to look into technologies that would enable cars to communicate with each other, and the objects around them. An example; if you approach an intersection and another car runs a red light, your car will get a signal from the other car of an imminent collision and your car will hit the brakes automatically to avoid an accident. This is the Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication technology, or V2V for short, which works by using wireless signals to send information back and forth between cars about their location, speed and direction.

This leads to another developing technology which utilizes the V2V communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, or V2I. V2I would allow vehicles to communicate with things like road signs or traffic signals and provide information to the vehicle about safety issues.
These technologies could transform the way we drive and increase automotive safety dramatically. Once these technologies are on the road, a truly smart car is on the way.

3. Robot delivery at your doorstep

This may not happen yet in Malaysia, but it’s happening in countries like the United Kingdom and the USA. Companies like Starship Technologies, which launched the world’s first fully autonomous robotic delivery service, and Nuro, the fully autonomous grocery delivery service may be limited in their scope of delivery now, but the fact that it exists marks a change coming very soon. Even Domino’s Pizza is doing the autonomous delivery service now!

The biggest change is not that it will eliminate the need for delivery people, but that it will help consumers trust autonomous vehicles and their capabilities. Far too often we have people who are skeptical about the ability of the AI to make correct decisions, and some firsthand experience may be needed to finally bridge that gap. Exposing consumers to these low-risk autonomous technologies will be an important step toward helping them embrace the self-driving car.

4. Fully integrated car systems

In the technology world, the latest advancement is only as good as the next thing coming down the line. The auto industry is constantly bringing us new technologies, whether it be for safety, entertainment, usefulness or simply for pure innovation.

Many new car technologies are either specifically built for safety or at least have some sort of safety focus to them. Some of the latest car innovations we've found are some truly exciting technologies that could revolutionize not just the automotive industry but human transportation in general. We’re talking about the fully integrated car systems that utilize autonomous technology, while not fully autonomous. These systems, like the driver override system, biometric vehicle access, Head-Up Display (HUD) technology, will make driving a much more futuristic endeavor.

5. Personalized in-car marketing

We know that this may not be for everyone, but it’s bound to happen soon. In the near future, there will be no escaping from the depths of the marketers. You're already getting Facebook, Twitter and Gmail ads based on your behavior. It’s been predicted that the average car will be fully connected to the Internet, meaning your vehicle will provide marketers with a powerful set of metrics to customize their message. Hopefully these will manifest as an opt-in feature, but get ready for personalized, location-based ads in your car's display.

What do you think about these 5 technologies and their impact on the automotive industry? Leave a comment below!