Technology has significantly impacted today’s leading industries, and the automotive industry is no exception. For example, using AI (artificial intelligence) has led to self-driving cars and providing safety guidance for drivers. Drivers also find themselves able to interact with their dashboard functions by using voice commands. Technology has also been helpful for auto fleet managers, who can use AI to develop a predictive maintenance schedule and product inventory.
The Rumored Return of the Dodge Viper
Sports car enthusiasts in the 1990s became fans of the Dodge Viper, due to its powerful engine and sporty style. The first version of the Viper had a six-speed transmission, which captured the attention of ‘muscle car’ drivers. It could go from zero to sixty in just over 4 seconds, but it lacked amenities like air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, or airbags. Its roof was made from canvas, and the windows were vinyl.
By its fifth generation, the Viper had reached its highest quality of style and performance level. Although demand remains high for cars, in 2017, with declining purchases, Fiat Chrysler stopped making the Viper. Although a few versions have been produced since, only wishful rumors persist in fueling the possibility of a Viper comeback. Those who loved the car have often been willing to invest in buying wrecked Vipers for sale, but the car machinery needed to produce new Vipers remains shut down.
Those who want to rebuild a wrecked Viper must search through other retired Vipers for workable replacement parts. According to Cars Authority, although a new Viper won’t be produced by Chrysler, a custom version of the car has been designed by Guillaume Mazerolle. It’s called the Viper Basilisk, and although it’s not for sale, its existence has whetted the appetite of those who want the car to return. Most auto experts agree that if the Viper returns, it is likely be an electric version.
The Changing Face of Auto Shipping Practices
When someone is moving from one state to another, or when auto manufacturers want to ship new cars to dealers, auto shipping services are utilized to transport those vehicles. These companies have undergone technological updates. One of the most significant expenses for this industry has been purchasing the fuel that the transport vehicle needs.
However, the engines of transport vehicles have profited from much of the same technology as have the engines of the newest version of today’s cars. Companies that ship automobiles are adopting the use of energy-efficient car trailers. The same improvements made to new car machinery are being copied in plants that make the engines of auto-shipping vehicles. The resulting decrease in fuel costs allows shipping companies to quote lower prices to their clients.
The engines of the shipping vehicles are not the only updated features. According to Auto Technology, half of the fuel the shipping vehicle uses during a trip is needed to compensate for aerodynamic drag. With that in mind, companies constructing these vehicles are designing more aerodynamic trailers. These companies have learned that the front of the trailer creates the most resistance and have therefore redesigned the front of the shipping vehicles, as well as utilizing sloped windshields to minimize the need for extra fuel.
Opening Tailgates More Easily
Car owners who want an easier way to open their tailgates have been increasingly thankful for the improving technology of tailgates. While drivers once were glad their automatic car lock device could open the car’s gate remotely, owners of newer cars have discovered hands-free tailgate openings. It’s a gratifying feature when your arms are full of groceries, and you can open the tailgate door without putting your bags down.
While most car makes and models offer opening the car’s gate with your key fob, not all provide the hands-free option. Ford was the first company to offer the possibility of lifting the car’s tailgate by waving your foot under the bumper. Kia and Hyundai offer models where the tailgate opens after detecting you standing near the trunk for over 3 seconds.
The convenience of an automatic gate system is wonderful, but it adds a significant price increase to a new car. When a car that includes a power tailgate is being made, the car machinery forming the tailgate embeds sensors in the outer frame of the tailgate. These sensors will detect either the radio frequency of the key fob, the motion of your leg, or the presence of someone behind the car. The gate’s movement occurs after the sensors receive the signal and use hydraulic pressure to lift and lower the gate.
Bringing the Internet into Your Car
Many people were surprised when their eyeglasses began having connectivity features. The same grateful astonishment is now beginning to spread to owners of new cars. 5G technology has now begun to appear in auto windshields. Sensors imperceptibly implanted into auto glass can improve the driver’s safety (by issuing warnings about speeding, road hazards, and other safety issues).
These sensors can also aid your GPS to help you find your destination. Newer windshields can provide weather updates, public service announcements, Amber alerts, or the distance to the next rest stop. Recent advances in auto glass services have enabled the sensors to detect when the driver is fatigued.
When these updated cars are being created, an antenna – much like a radio antenna – is installed via the same car machinery as the rest of the windshield. When the driver is on the road, the sensors in the window interact with data from cell towers. As it detects hazards, upcoming tolls, or inclement weather, the driver is signaled, and can prepare appropriately.
Improving the Way Tow Trucks Operate
Towing companies have been invaluable for drivers who break down or have accidents. Recent technological developments have been improving how these companies provide those services. Administration services at many towing company offices have undergone a technical upgrade, including computerization of drivers’ schedules and payroll delivery. Computerization of records storage has also become an asset for towing companies.
Tow truck drivers are now taking advantage of GPS technology to help them find the most efficient directions to pick up stranded drivers. Taking the quickest route also allows the tow truck drivers to use the least fuel. Car machinery innovations that led to installing more efficient GPS devices led truck manufacturers to use similar technology on tow trucks.
Payment methods for tow truck services have also changed due to technology. Mobile transactions can now be used to pay tow truck fees. Cashless payments provide ease and security for drivers, which can ease some of the stress of having their car towed. Documentation of the tow services can quickly be sent to your insurance company.
Updating the Reach of Wrecker Companies
Wrecker services differ from tow services. A towing service exclusively offers pickups of vehicles that can’t start or have been stranded, while wrecker services can perform recovery services for cars or trucks. The circumstances when a wrecker could be used are typically extreme – like cars that have flipped or are in precarious positions.
Wrecking companies have found themselves recipients of technological updates in many of the same ways as tow truck companies. One of the newest trends is switching the production of wreckers to electric vehicles. The methods of car machinery used to create electric vehicles are like those used to develop electric wreckers. Electric vehicles reduce carbon emissions and fuel efficiency, and they can help the wrecking company meet state guidelines for incentives.
According to Forbes, electric vehicles are made with updated safety features. These vehicles can save money on fuel and require less maintenance. These features save cash for the wrecking company, which can be passed on to the clients or insurance companies that contract with the wrecker.
Finding New Uses for Junk Cars
In addition to salvaging junk cars for their parts, technology has allowed the auto industry to see new uses for these discards. Some of those developments are used in automatic recycling. Using this process, a car can be dismantled with a shredder within minutes. After the vehicle has been torn apart, its components are separated into glass, metal, and plastic and then sent for further processing.
Some of these components can be used to great advantage. For example, steel and aluminum can be melted down and used in new cars. Parts of car machinery are also able to use this recycled steel. This decreases the number of contemporary metals needed, which conserves these resources and lowers costs.
Plastics and glass can also be reused in the creation of new cars. Shredded auto glass is now being recycled as a sustainable insulation source. Another benefit of recycling cars is decreasing the number of autos consigned to landfills. This conserves landfill space and prevents the risk of leaking toxins from old engines into the ground.
Calling for New Technology in Roadside Assistance
When a driver needs a roadside assistance company, new technology now provides the option of entering some of the drivers’ information into an app and having it processed by the dispatch office. This helps to locate available rescue vehicles better, analyze the dispatch of those vehicles, and increase the efficiency of assistance efforts. Once a tow truck or wrecker is dispatched to help the stranded driver, the stranded driver can track the arrival of their rescuer via the same app.
A company called Onstar has replicated the app from your phone and placed it in your car. Running via your engine’s power, the Onstar system connects you online. The system then asks if you need roadside assistance, an ambulance, or are trapped in a disaster condition. Onstar can also use its technology during a disaster to help you locate your family members.
Car machinery making new models now implants sensors that can recognize road conditions likely to cause an accident. When these sensors detect possible danger, they provide an audible warning to the driver. If the driver cannot use the brakes in time to prevent an accident, some cars are engineered to apply the brakes automatically.
Connecting Trailers to Cars in New Ways
Cars that use trailers for vacationing or transporting parts have always needed trailer parts to keep their cargo secure. Technology has been trying to find better ways to create and connect trailers. According to Pro Pride Hitch, the creator of their new and improved trailer hitches – which allow for a more secure connection – could only develop his new design using AI systems. As the creator created their new hitch, they used AI to imagine several iterations of his new hitch design before settling on the one the company now sells.
If a trailer user needs a part, they typically need to contact several stores to find the parts they need. Today’s technology allows trailer users to download an app to search for required trailer parts. Once the app finds the part, it lets the client know the cost of the piece and gives them directions to where they can buy what they need.
Processing and Retaining Information
With all the information available to drivers and auto manufacturers, a need for information technology experts has emerged in the auto industry. To explain new systems to manufacturers, to assist designers, or to process the flow of information from remote apps, this information must be adequately cataloged and processed. To help with this need, many auto companies are now looking for people with master’s degrees in information technology.
Those who want to earn an advanced degree in information technology can find a suitable course at most universities. However, there are also online universities where an online masters degree in information technology can be earned online. When these students are planning their curriculum, it would benefit them to include automotive technology courses. A candidate who is tasked to help an auto company with their new technology should have a good knowledge of auto parts and car machinery.
Today’s automotive industry continues to change and advance. The recent advances have brought much improvement to the design and operation of modern autos, so it will hopefully result in even more improvements. Since technology has engineered advances in most other industries, it only makes sense to imagine it will continue to influence auto manufacturing, car machinery, and recycling used cars.