What does the car of the future look like? Here are 10 tech trends

The embodiment of everything ‘tech’ right now, Al is fast becoming the most frequently written first name in 2024. Everything from manufacturing and mapping, to self-driving, battery management and driver monitoring is underpinned by generative AI algorithms.

Like self-service check-outs, driverless cars still need a supervisor. Some (hopefully very competent) humans keeping an eye or two on them. Harry Potter, Fifth Element, Total Recall...we'll let you figure out which film it most feels like you're sitting in.

Chipsets are mind-blowing. These tiny tech marvels will turbocharge everything from performance to safety. The brain of your car, they'll deliver lightning-fast processing power, managing everything from autonomous driving to real-time diagnostics.

The voice control in your car has morphed from a basic command centre to a digital friend. They're getting smart enough to ask questions about your moods and respond empathically. Feeling excited or slightly creeped out?

Where there's a screen, there's a revenue stream. Self-driving cars will be kitted out to support gaming, cinema sessions and spending. The payoff? More fun, hassle-free parking payments and discounts where you're actually located. Game on.

The future is a car defined by software and remote updates. The algorithm boffins are confident that vehicles which can be refreshed for their whole lifetime will mean quids in for drivers when it comes to selling your car on. Winning.

Extended reality (XR) means heavy use of virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. That includes BMW’s augmented navigation, which uses the camera to project the directional arrows onto a digital projection of your route, so you don’t miss a turn. Sounds unreal.

E-fuels are the only way to net zero carbon in nations without a stable electric network. Creating and scaling e-fuels isn’t so straightforward though, so they cost four times as much as regular fuel. Ouch.

Making batteries more energy dense is the key to lighter, cheaper electric cars. 'Solid state' is officially The Next Big (Battery) thing, though it's as tough to scale as the Empire State building without a harness.

Wifi hotspots are no longer limited to premium models. Small issue of a reliable network aside, the connected car is a trend that will evolve like Taylor Swift's music career – niche in country, gradually building to a multi-billion-dollar empire (and literally everywhere).