Essentials and Non Essiential equipment for new cars of the future

[Zak33]

Hellloooooo people

Here's the idea of this thread - post one item you'd consider essential and one item you'd like removed ...from cars of the future.

Lets ignore safety items - ABS, ESP, Air Bags etc are all here to stay, rightly so and should continue to develop as fast as viable.
But some items just don't need to exist - period. They add complexity, cost, weight, power drain and energy use to the car.... and can go.

My votes are:

Essential - all cars should have as standard electric FOLDING mirrors that do not poke out past the bdy work width. This will make it much easier over the life of the car to keep costs down from not being to easy to smash off. Mirrors are expensive to replace, and I know the weight of the motors to make thenm fold will impact (no pun intended) the cars consumption of power, BUT I think over the life of the range of cars , it will help reduce plastic use, paint use, glass use, motor use, cable use, and in some cars, even bulbs and reflectors where indicators are built in. They should be able to fold in at ANY speed, and not only at slow speed. The folding function button should be as easy to use as main beam, or the stereo. With this design, any vehicles coming the other way in tight spaces have a much better chance of not losing a mirror each.

Remove - I believe no cars should ever have, even as an option, heated steering wheels. They just shouldnt.

[Ttaskmaster]

Cor, so many to choose from....!


Essential - Physical controls. Car functions should have switches, dials, buttons, levers and things, that can be operated without looking and will give you proper tactile feedback, as opposed to just vibrating like a haptic phone screen.

Removed - Space saving wheel kits. This means mini wheels, puncture gloop repair kits and even the little box that just contains a card with the AA/RAC's phone number. The best solution is still a full size spare wheel.

Remove - I believe no cars should ever have, even as an option, heated steering wheels. They just shouldnt.

I would suggest one caveat; that countries (Russia, Canada, etc) where the temperature frequently drops low enough that you'd beg for such a thing to be invented, they should be permitted.
I had this argument with someone once, and they pointed out how driving in gloves thick enough to keep you warm was very dangerous, but without them it could still be cold enough for your hands to stick to the wheel, especially if you breathe. I'd give them folks a pass... especially the Canadians.
Otherwise, I agree, it's as useless as a Humvee in a tiny rural Gloucestershire village!

[jim]

Heated steering wheels make a lot of sense to me. For people with poor circulation it can be almost impossible to drive in the winter, and gloves go some way to helping but they aren't a complete solution. So why shouldn't cars come with heated steering wheels?

[Hoonigan]

A feature all future cars should have: Adaptive Cruise Control. It's utterly fantastic for long journeys in our VW.
A feature all future cars should lose: 63,344,826,01233,435,232,834 candle power laser beam headlights that sit 3 metres off the ground. I am absolutely, completely and utterly sick to death of being blinded by SUVs flying around with, what looks like, two collapsed stars in the front of their car.

In regards to the heated steering wheel. Our old Kia Sportage had that as part of the winter pack, with a heated front and rear window, and heated seats. It's beautiful when you're getting into a car and it's close to -20°C in the north of Scotland.

[[GSV]Trig]

Anything that the driver should be doing, the car shouldnt do automatically, until we are at the point where all cars on the road are the same.

[smargh]

- Speed governor, set via GPS from a national road speed limit database. Modification & driving while modified punishable by 5-10yr license revocation.
- All vehicles limited to 70mph maximum.
- Acceleration limited. Say, 0-60 in 12 seconds. This would be reduced a bit more when the vehicle is in any area away from motorway on-ramps.
- There will be road use charging, and this might be a satnav thing, but prior to departure the vehicle will tell you how much the journey will cost.
- Built-in driver-facing camera to detect mobile phone use, distraction and driver alertness.
- Amber beacon attached to the roof of all vehicles. When driver distraction is detected, the beacon flashes and the horn speaker emits a warning sound to alert anyone nearby.
- All vehicle modifications prohibited, including visual styling.
- Personal number plates banned, with mandatory replacement of existing plates with a standard one.
- Geofenced pedestrianised areas: vehicles immobilised upon entry.
- Mandatory car helmets at all times for all vehicle occupants.

[Saracen999]

Essential - a good sound system, and not provided as standard. I'll fit what aftermarket system suits me, not what some corporate executive wants to sell me.

Essential #2 - f/r dashcams.

Remove - or at a minimum, is a delete option - aircon.

Also remove or delete option - built-in satnav, with gps tracking and "phone home" to the manufacturer.



Note: As the OP asked, these are my vjews, not ones I expect to happen.

[TeePee]

- Speed governor, set via GPS from a national road speed limit database. Modification & driving while modified punishable by 5-10yr license revocation.
- All vehicles limited to 70mph maximum.
- Acceleration limited. Say, 0-60 in 12 seconds. This would be reduced a bit more when the vehicle is in any area away from motorway on-ramps.
- There will be road use charging, and this might be a satnav thing, but prior to departure the vehicle will tell you how much the journey will cost.
- Built-in driver-facing camera to detect mobile phone use, distraction and driver alertness.
- Amber beacon attached to the roof of all vehicles. When driver distraction is detected, the beacon flashes and the horn speaker emits a warning sound to alert anyone nearby.
- All vehicle modifications prohibited, including visual styling.
- Personal number plates banned, with mandatory replacement of existing plates with a standard one.
- Geofenced pedestrianised areas: vehicles immobilised upon entry.
- Mandatory car helmets at all times for all vehicle occupants.

Everything that's the opposite of this.

(But bringing back the death penalty for mobile phone use would be acceptable).

[Output]

I'm not a driver, just a passenger, so other than hoping for Electric vehicles to be cheaper and able to travel much further in future, there's only one thing that comes to mind.

Namely removing the Keyless functionality, as it's clear from all of the news reports of them being stolen (in seconds at that too) that it just makes things far too easy for thieves.

[DanceswithUnix]

Essential - all cars should have as standard electric FOLDING mirrors that do not poke out past the bdy work width.

I think door mirrors will be replaced with cameras. There are already cars that do this, the cameras are snug to the door so not liable to get damaged and it reduces drag.


Essential: I look forward to fully autonomous driving. Most driving isn't fun, even as a car enthusiast, it's just a long drudge across country on boring motorways or it's alternating between stationary and a dog fight for commuting. On a nice sunny day on country roads I want to drive, but the rest of the time let a machine do it and I'll read a book.

Remove: Another vote against emergency tire foam kits. I'm OK with a space saver, but I've been stranded by lack of spare wheel in the past.


Edit:

- Amber beacon attached to the roof of all vehicles. When driver distraction is detected, the beacon flashes and the horn speaker emits a warning sound to alert anyone nearby.

I learnt when cycling to regard the word "Volvo" pretty much like a flashing beeping beacon of inattentiveness
The rest of your list I have to say I find quite scary. 0-60 in 12 seconds I would consider unsafe, removing one of the tools you have to get out of harms way when sometimes braking or steering isn't enough to be somewhere else.

[kalniel]

Hellloooooo people

Here's the idea of this thread - post one item you'd consider essential and one item you'd like removed ...from cars of the future.

Lets ignore safety items - ABS, ESP, Air Bags etc are all here to stay, rightly so and should continue to develop as fast as viable.
But some items just don't need to exist - period. They add complexity, cost, weight, power drain and energy use to the car.... and can go.

My votes are:

Essential - all cars should have as standard electric FOLDING mirrors that do not poke out past the bdy work width. This will make it much easier over the life of the car to keep costs down from not being to easy to smash off. Mirrors are expensive to replace, and I know the weight of the motors to make thenm fold will impact (no pun intended) the cars consumption of power, BUT I think over the life of the range of cars , it will help reduce plastic use, paint use, glass use, motor use, cable use, and in some cars, even bulbs and reflectors where indicators are built in. They should be able to fold in at ANY speed, and not only at slow speed. The folding function button should be as easy to use as main beam, or the stereo. With this design, any vehicles coming the other way in tight spaces have a much better chance of not losing a mirror each.

Forget electric folding mirrors - that adds complexity and cost, and is no guarantee to preventing damage anyway since people still prang them. Just have flexible mirror designs so that they fold safely manually or under impact and can be moved back into position.

But as noted, a camera system, while complex, brings a lot of gains, especially in efficiency.

ESSENTIAL: for me it's self-sufficiency related stuff - a spare wheel (I don't mind a light-weight restricted speed one, as long as it can be re-used), tools and spare parts as required to enact a roadside/service station repair for wear and tear items. That of course goes with the design of a car to be roadside repairable and having clear enough instructions to do so. Oh and make changing wheels/bulbs part of the driving test.

Fewer cars breaking down, for less time, would result in more free flowing traffic and fewer casualties.

REMOVED: puncture gloop kits. Should be banned. But that's been noted before.. so.. any unnecessary audio bings and bongs. I've been relatively lucky in that respect, but I've read some cars are getting a bit over the top when you start them up or even while driving etc.

[badass]

Essential: I look forward to fully autonomous driving. Most driving isn't fun, even as a car enthusiast, it's just a long drudge across country on boring motorways or it's alternating between stationary and a dog fight for commuting. On a nice sunny day on country roads I want to drive, but the rest of the time let a machine do it and I'll read a book.

I really look forward to that. Even if just for motorways/A roads. Areas with pedestrians can come later. For the reasons in bold.

Plus it would deal with the lorry driver problem. Just have large lorry parks near large towns and cities where a driver gets in. Then they don't end up ploughing through stationary traffic because they are incompetent at their jobs. Also not causing hundreds of car drivers per lorry to be speed restricted because they want to do 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 MPH more than a lorry in front of them. 5 miles before an additional lane opens up.

[Zak33]

Essential - Physical controls. Car functions should have switches, dials, buttons, levers and things, that can be operated without looking and will give you proper tactile feedback, as opposed to just vibrating like a haptic phone screen.

Removed - Space saving wheel kits. This means mini wheels, puncture gloop repair kits and even the little box that just contains a card with the AA/RAC's phone number. The best solution is still a full size spare wheel.

agree and agree.. you're on point with those.

[Zak33]

A feature all future cars should lose: 63,344,826,01233,435,232,834 candle power laser beam headlights that sit 3 metres off the ground. I am absolutely, completely and utterly sick to death of being blinded by SUVs flying around with, what looks like, two collapsed stars in the front of their car.

utterly right... especially on bumpy roads... I agree fully.

[Zak33]

Essential - a good sound system, and not provided as standard. I'll fit what aftermarket system suits me, not what some corporate executive wants to sell me.

i must admit.. I'd like quality speakers fitted to everything at the first line of design, in good enclosures.. and then optional stereo choices.

[Zak33]

ESSENTIAL: for me it's self-sufficiency related stuff - a spare wheel (I don't mind a light-weight restricted speed one, as long as it can be re-used), tools and spare parts as required to enact a roadside/service station repair for wear and tear items. That of course goes with the design of a car to be roadside repairable and having clear enough instructions to do so. Oh and make changing wheels/bulbs part of the driving test.

Fewer cars breaking down, for less time, would result in more free flowing traffic and fewer casualties.

REMOVED: puncture gloop kits. Should be banned. But that's been noted before.. so.. any unnecessary audio bings and bongs. I've been relatively lucky in that respect, but I've read some cars are getting a bit over the top when you start them up or even while driving etc.

another vote for proper spares and training to fit them