IDTechEx explores the automotive future

As the automotive industry accelerates toward widespread automation and electrification, IDTechEx highlights some of the pivotal innovations shaping mobility’s future.

Its report Future Automotive Technologies 2024-2034: Applications, Megatrends, Forecasts covers developments as the automotive industry heads towards the acceptance of automation and the enforcement of electrification.

Both offer unique environmental and safety benefits to vehicles and their passengers, says IDTechEx.

Autonomous and assisted driving feature installations are increasing within regular passenger vehicles, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping technologies, and blind spot warning.

“This is driving the automotive sensors market, with cameras and radar adding up to hundreds of dollars per car on average.

“As more advanced self-driving technologies come along, and Lidar also becomes more common, this will grow to thousands of dollars per car.

“However, the high-performance capabilities unlocked by these sensors and their contribution to improving the automotive industry arguably make them worth the extra expense.”

IDTechEx predicts that in the early 2030s, private vehicles with point A to point B autonomy and no driver input or supervision could be on roads.

“Robotaxis are a great example of autonomous driving technologies becoming available from the evolving landscape of the automotive industry, with commercial service deployments taking place in China and the US and lots of market growth opportunities going forward.”
|IDTechEx reports that with increased passenger demand and rapid growth in the 2030s, there could be large revenue opportunities for robotaxis.

Emission regulations provide the impetus needed for EVs to continue their adoption into automotive markets, says IDTechEx.

“Zero tailpipe emissions are becoming a long-term goal in many European countries, while the threat of fines for high CO2 emissions is pushing companies to make sustainable changes,” says IDTechEx, adding that as electric car prices start to reduce and fuel prices continue to steadily increase and fluctuate, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are presented as a more favourable option for both cost and the environmental benefits that accompany them.

“With hydrogen fuel cell cars still seeing a much lower demand from consumers, as well as the expenses and difficulties of acquiring hydrogen and building the necessary infrastructure, BEVs continue to dominate the emission-free movement.”