Among the more exciting innovations were accessories and ideas right out of the marvels of a science fiction movie. In past years, we’ve seen the first steps toward self-driving cars such as parallel parking assistance, and gadgets that ranged from practical to just plain cool. Here’s just a brief overview of some of the more exciting showcases.
The Car/Home Thermostat
A must-have for those training for auto careers in colder climates, this gadget allows you to sync your home’s NEST thermostat with the one in your dashboard. Upon leaving home and entering the car, your home’s thermostat turns to “away mode” to save on costs of heating and cooling while your car automatically adjusts to your preferred temperature. When you return home, the opposite occurs. This advance has been in the works for a while, but NEST seems to have perfected some upgrades. For instance, your car can now estimate how long it’ll take to arrive home, setting your thermostat just right around the time you pull into your driveway.
Driverless Cars
The future of automotive careers has projected the reality of driverless cars almost as long as the rest of society has been promised jetpacks. When both came to pass, their reality was a lot less impressive than imagined – with jetpacks barely lifting off the ground and robot cars behaving more like cruise control assistance than actual robots. This year, however, the industry has made giant leaps toward the roads of Minority Report, with Tesla saying its cars will be able to self-drive 90 per cent of the miles of any given trip. Legislation for such vehicles is well underway, with California stating it will allow testing for pedal-less automobiles this year. Mercedes-Benz unveiled its luxury version of a driverless car, with four seats facing each other in a living space pod. It would serve as a private retreat on wheels. Fitting that the design was unveiled in Las Vegas, whose hotels put a premium on luxury and spaciousness as opposed to practicality.
Elio, The 3-wheeled Car
Those interested in an auto career will surely be excited about the Elio. Easily affordable at just a little under seven grand ($6,800 to be exact), this tripod-wheeled wonder managed 84 miles per hour on the highway before making its debut at CES. Unlike most three wheeled vehicles, the Elio is front-wheeled, its 55 horse powered engine encased under a narrow hood. The ride weighs in at about the same as a Mazda Miatta, with the same sleek, aerodynamic look.
What auto designs or gadgets are you most looking forward to in 2015?
