Cars Of The Future—CTO Of KPIT Technologies Explains

Around 100 years ago, automobiles were largely about mechanical components, thermodynamics and combustion technology. Somewhere in the 1990s, software-driven electronics started improving quality of engines and brakes. Now, the software and computing power has taken over.Instead of supporting the car, software now defines the car, according to Anup Sable, chief technology officer at KPIT Technologies Ltd., a software provider to the automotive sector. In the future, he said, mobility will be a function of software and computers in a car.According to Sable, three key changes currently are under way in the auto sector:Increase in electrification of vehicle.Change in connectivity.Self-handling of several aspects like in autonomous cars.A Brand New Car Every YearCars today have, in a way, become similar to consumer devices as the differentiating aspect is the features offered, Sable said. As the car gets increasingly connected and primarily software-driven, the consumer will have access to additional features even after the purchase, he said.“You can upgrade the car every year by purchasing new software features that will enhance your car,” he said. The consumer, according to him, will have a new car every year without having to actually replace it.ICE Vs EVsInternal combustion or fossil-fuel driven vehicles will continue to compete with electric vehicles for the time being. But once solid-state batteries—requiring a fifth of the current time to charge—become mainstream and the charging infrastructure is in place, it will become very difficult for ICE vehicles to keep up the fight, Sable said.EV is a technological disruption and so will be autonomous vehicles, according to Sable. New competitors will definitely come in, at times replacing incumbents, he said.Screens, Screens And More ScreensAccording to Sable, future cars will have a lot of screens. There’s a possibility that every single device in the car will be replaced by a screen, maybe a folding one. The dashboard, the entire front panel and even mirrors could just be screens, he said.Beyond that, quantum computing will be the next disruption and potentially become mainstream in 5-10 years by becoming part of software. Drivers could be monitored for their health, cars could change colors depending on the driver’s mood (thanks to nanotechnology), he sad.And, Sable said, the world can expect flying cars to become common in the next 20-30 years..Watch: Talking Point with KPIT's Anup Sable:

Cars Of The Future—CTO Of KPIT Technologies Explains

Around 100 years ago, automobiles were about mechanical components and combustion technology. Now, software has taken over.

Choose a plan