Will we soon be driving a smartphone?
As the Mobile World Congress opens in Barcelona, SEAT car buyers are about to get some insight into the trends in future mobility, connectivity and safety.
Some European cities are fitting pedestrian crossing lights into the ground because they know that nowadays we are permanently connected to our mobile phone. The trend among car makers now is to develop new technologies so that users do not lose this connection when they are driving.
In the future, we are told, the vehicle itself will be connected, allowing companies like SEAT to improve the customer experience and offer new functions and services. This advanced connectivity will enable drivers to access email and social media and continue driving in complete safety.
The objective is to provide these functions in a manner that will not endanger the act of driving as is the case with Bluetooth connectivity. This allows drivers to connect a call with just a touchscreen swipe or the push of a button.
Imagine never arriving late for work. SEAT believes that coming technology will guide you and your vehicle to the destination on time. In the future, vehicles will have predictive assistants that help the user efficiently choose the best commuting route to take based on, for example, traffic or weather conditions, which will lead to more sustainable mobility.
With ever increasing congestion in our city centers it is estimated that 25% of traffic is due to drivers looking for a place to park. At the Mobile World Congress we will see another future trend from apps that detect free parking spaces. The faster drivers can park their car the less fuel and time they will waste with the added benefit of fewer emissions.
Another feature of the Congress will be to promote the exchange of goods as one of the keys to the future. This trend in mobility will be car-sharing among several users, getting access with digital keys on their smart phone. Digital apps for this purpose will have increasingly greater impact.
The advances in digital technology and connectivity demonstrated at the Mobile World Congress will work in coordination with automotive driverless vehicles in our motoring future. Late workers will be running out of excuses.
