Aftermarket May 2022

MAY 2022 AFTERMARKET 21 20th century, the thought of self-driving vehicles would have sounded like an irrational fantasy. Fast-forward to the late 1980s and drivers became a bit more hopeful on the matter. Indeed, in the RAC’s motoring survey in 1989, 7% of respondents believed that by 2001 we would begin to see queues of autonomous vehicles populating our roads. Predictions weren’t strictly accurate. In fact, the Chrysler PT Cruiser and the Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX, the most popular car models in 2001, were not able to drive on their own. But it is also true that previsions were not completely unfounded. By 2003, the Toyota Prius had become the first production vehicle to possess an in-built, self-parking system. You would still have to manoeuvre your car on motorways and roads, but the Prius would very happily take control of tricky parallel parking on your behalf. Hands-free driving, nowadays, is no longer an imaginary prospect. As manufacturers work hard to perfect autonomous models, drivers will soon only have to step in and take control in trickier situations, such as stopping at traffic lights. For now, we can keep enjoying the infotainment and connective technology that drivers of the past could merely dream about, such as the great in-built features of the Bentayga Hybrid. Electric and hybrid vehicles Several countries, including the UK, have announced a sale ban of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2030. Ultimately, as climate change continues to take its toll on the planet, electric and hybrid cars are the way forward. Surprisingly, the technology to create electric-powered vehicles has been around for over 100 years. Designed by Thomas Parker at the end of the 19th century, electric- powered cars frequently circulated our roads between the late 1800s and early 1900s. As time went by, and combustion engine technology began to be enhanced, gasoline-powered cars soon outnumbered their electric counterparts. Not many would have bet on a gradual return to Parker’s times, but history has a tendency to repeat itself. Now, it is safe to say that pollution-free technology is fostering new predictions. One prevision, for instance, is that hydrogen-powered cars will hit our streets. Is it our turn to be too optimistic? Perhaps, but Mercedes has already sketched a retro and quirky concept. For the sake of our surroundings and for our own pleasure, it would be fantastic to see this model steering along our roads. On the whole, predictions on the future of the car market have not been too far-fetched. Yes, they may not have been inch-perfect, but they were never totally unfounded either. Of course, it may take some time before we will be at the wheel of gravitating vehicles. On the other side though, the prospect of hands-free driving is not utopic anymore, and may at some point become the norm. That said, it is time for us now to speculate about the features and looks of future cars. Will pollution-free technology give us innovative, mind-blowing models? An exciting 30 years await us. www.grange.co.uk