Front Seat: Cars of the Future May Be Here Now
By Dean Washington,
Remember back when you were a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons like the Jetsons, where George and his family cruised around in their flying car in the year 2062, and you laid in front of the TV wondering if that would be the way you got around in the future? Although no one has introduced a flying car as of yet, they are getting awfully close.
The average vehicle driven off the dealer’s lot today is equipped with features such as power windows and door locks, a good sound system, heated seats and maybe even a DVD system in the back for the kids. But these features really just scratch the surface of what is available now, and more importantly, what is to come.
As I am constantly in a different vehicle, I often take technology for granted. Things like a back-up camera for instance. Very few vehicles we test don’t come equipped with this feature as manufacturers generally provide us with the full-load models to showcase all the vehicle has to offer. But now, when I jump into one without one, I am almost lost without it when in reverse. Whereas when most of my friends jump into one of our testers, they are marveled by this feature.
But there is some technology that does catch my eye. Several of my recent testers have had some crazy features that include vehicles that park themselves, onboard computers where you can now surf the internet from the driver’s seat (not while moving of course) and a car that gives you a Shiatsu massage while you are reclined in the rear heated seat!
But the one that tops all of them for me is this month’s cover story (page 12), the electrifying Chevy Volt. We had an opportunity to drive a pre-production model around beautiful Stanley Park during the Vancouver Olympic Games last month. The exterior of the Volt may not give you a case of whiplash as it passes by, but the technology behind this car may give you a headache trying to figure out how they did it.
The Volt is a vehicle that if you commute within 30 kms of your house (as I do), you will never have to run the gas engine (it does turn on periodically so it doesn’t seize). You can also download an OnStar application to your Smart Phone that allows you to program when you want to charge the batteries. It also allows you, amongst many other features, when you want the vehicle to be preheated or cooled. For example, if you leave for work at 7 am, you can preset the car to warm up or cool down 15 minutes prior to leaving, so when you are ready to go, the cabin is at the perfect temperature and you have used the power from your house and not the battery in the car.
Ahhh yes friends, the Jetsons’ future car may be here already!
Until next issue, Keep it Rollin’…
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