EXPLOSION OF TECH IN CARS

dhruvtalksstech
Jan 28, 2023
5 min read

Updated: Jan 30, 2023

It's becoming more like wheels on tech rather than tech on wheels. Get it? There's been an explosion of tech inside cars. 5 years back, nobody had heard of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto except the rich luxury car owners. But now, nobody can't even imagine their car without the functionality, myself included. It has made life so much easier. You had to use your phone as a navigation device earlier while it was connected to Bluetooth music and while cycling through your playlist to find the perfect song for the environment while you tried to navigate the streets of New Delhi. This was at a time when phones were still coming with small 5.5-inch screens. It was incredibly hard and cumbersome. The tech inside cars has changed the entire narrative. It has revolutionized the way we travel and brought huge leaps in the automotive industry.

Manufacturers now consistently prioritize tech in cars. Apple CarPlay is a very basic example. Even cars worth 20,00,000 INR (25,000$) come with tech that can give cars worth 80,00,000 INR (100,000$) a run for their money. In some cases, cheaper mass-market cars may even surpass them. We are seeing more and more cars in the ballpark of 25-30K $ with self-driving tech also known as autonomous systems. The infotainment systems of cars have never been smarter with functionality similar to that of voice assistants on our phones. They can be commanded to set temperatures, roll down windows, roll back the sunshade, change ambient lighting and even navigate you to an address.

You may have witnessed the hype and attention around tech in cars. People get excited about more tech breakthrough development rather than smooth suspension. Tech features make the most headlines. The tech inside cars is also becoming a lot like our phones. It receives over-the-air updates to make sure your 3-year-old car still feels new and enjoys the same set of features as the brand-new one. A lot of this can be attributed to the reduction in costs of tech components and the wider availability of expensive tech that was earlier exclusive to luxury sedans. This is very good for the industry and is something that has been in the making for a very long time. It was implemented a long time back in the US and Europe but now that it is happening in India as well. It makes me super excited for the future of the mass-market automotive industry.

We are even seeing still very expensive technologies like adaptive LED headlights make their way to cars worth 40,00,000 INR (50,000$) which is something you won't expect in India. For context to my Western readers, cars in India are almost twice as expensive as in countries like the US, the UK, and Germany. This is because of the high taxation imposed on cars because all cars come under the bracket of luxury products such as liquor and cigarettes and are thus subject to taxes as high as 45%. I personally feel this should not be the case. India has the world's (almost) largest population but it's car adoption rate is one the least in the world. The median income already severely lags behind the western countries and making cars more expensive than they are in the West is a perfect recipe for red-tape governance which nobody wants. Reducing taxes would actually motivate people to buy cars which would in turn boost the GDP.

The tech inside cars has made life simpler. It is easier to get around and a lot of techs which was earlier enjoyed by the wealthy BMW owners have now made their way even to Honda owners. It is safe to say that almost all mass-market cars provide basic tech features that are essential in today's world. Gone are the days of phone mounts and they have made way for 12-inch touch screens that are slick and responsive to use. Some phone manufacturers are even designing the UI of car infotainments because that's what the passengers use and the automakers agreed to it happily when approached by the tech giants such as Apple.

Air purifying units have made their way inside the armrest in countries like India and China where deteriorating air quality is a concern for millions. Sunroof, ventilated seats, fast-charging ports, digital driver displays, electronically adjustable seats, and entertainment screens are the norm. It gives even the common man who had always dreamt of driving and enjoying the luxuries of a BMW the opportunity to get a taste of it. But all of this in no way means that it is the end of the era of luxury cars and the prestige associated with them.

The gap has certainly been bridged but there remains a very big difference between luxury and mass-market cars. Mass-market cars will never be able to match the horsepower, torque, leather, wood, metal, smoothness, reclining seats, ambient lighting, reassuring touch and feel, and most importantly, the badge on the hood. The standing Mercedes logo is in itself, a status symbol and a way of telling the world that you've made it big in your life. A Toyota Land Cruiser is not as impressive as an M760Li to pull up to on the red carpet.

Tech is progressing and stiffer competition only means that more and more technology in luxury cars will make its way to cheaper cars after manufacturers are forced to figure out ways to produce the tech in cheap ways. It is often the tech itself that defines a car and is the difference between a modern and an old car. It is also what has led to the progress of cars and spearheaded the advancement in systems and efficiency. Seeing cars through the lens of tech makes it clearer when we consider the case of electric cars. Electric cars are driven by innovation in tech. Tech is the way forward for the foreseeable future and you can bet that manufacturers are willing to kill to create the best of it possible.

But to answer the question of whether cars have too much tech or not, I think no. Tech has a long way forward. Although, I do feel that there is a bit of tech overload and paranoia in the upper segment of the car market. High-end cars now seem to have replaced entire dashes with screens and functions. It is overwhelming and tech in no case should ever be a replacement for the fundamentals of a car such as comfort and engine performance.