Uber, Amazon-powered, and Pizza Hut: Hundreds of brands are looking to the future of road technology and changing how we see “traditional cars.”

In fact, major investments in autonomous and electric vehicle start-ups have skyrocketed to £ 3.5 billion since 2017. Today, vehicles are already featuring dashboard cameras, self-driven models, and battery-powered cars, this could change the way we prevent accidents on the road.

As the trend of autonomous models is rising with amazing safety features, we are eager to see what else is in store. Check out these future road technology trends to expect sooner than you think.

Subscription on wheels

Netflix, Amazon Prime, & Spotify: Subscriptions have taken over nearly every facet of how we live. So why wouldn’t we expect it from the car industry? Automakers like Cadillac, Volvo, and Porsche are jumping on the subscription bandwagon and have announced their plans to allow drivers to exchange or “subscribe” to different vehicles every week for a standard fee. This appeals to those who don’t plan to commit on a big-ticket purchase without a test-drive. Not to mention, the subscriptions come with insurance, roadside assistance, vehicle tax, registration, and cost of maintenance – all rolled into a monthly bill.

Predictive analysis

Soon, we will see a rise in big data and advanced software taking over the auto industry. This advanced software will consist of artificial intelligence, statistics, data mining, and machine learning to analyse data and make better predictions. As a result, manufacturers will gain insight into customer demands and adjust production.

Future brands of smart automotive

Years ago, Byton was an unknown start-up with a mission to “change what it means to drive.” The company introduced an all-electric concept that will centre as more of a smartphone than a vehicle. Byton claims that its car will have level 3 and 4 autonomous qualities, using facial recognition rather than keys. In addition, they’ll use Amazon Alexa-powered voice commands, making the drive as easy as a smartphone.

Another car company sharing an interest in autonomous vehicles includes tech giant, Nvidia. During this year’s CES, the company introduced the Nvidia Drive Xavier – a processor that is powerfully designed to handle the demands of self-driven cars. In fact, the company will focus on autonomy and bring augmented reality (AR) into vehicles.

We imagine it is only a matter of time before this new wave of technology makes its way into more self-driven prototypes. If leading automakers decide to make safe autonomous vehicles a reality in the UK and across the world, they’ll need to include more than smart technology to handle the effects of Mother Nature.