The Tech We Had No Idea Would Become So Critical

Upgrading the stock stereo system to a multi-disc system with DVD capabilities and a pop-up screen was one of the few ways the benefits of chips and electronics in cars were immediately obvious to the average consumer in 2002, when most in-vehicle electronics, like that those controlled anti-lock braking systems, were hidden away.

Two decades later, as is evident with companies like Sony, Apple, and even Dyson trying to break into the automotive industry, cars are becoming more and more like rolling electronic gadgets. The electrification of the motor car brought with it incredibly elaborate infotainment systems relying on giant touchscreens and even voice recognition. Meanwhile other electronic upgrades, such as cameras and sensors keeping tabs on everything else on the road, have facilitated features that will autonomously keep a vehicle in its lane, automatically break for obstacles, and even identify and obey speed limit signage (YMMV).

Cars that drive themselves without any human intervention are allegedly just around the corner, and in a few years the vehicle in your driveway will have more in common with your smartphone than the Model T. As with a smartphone, consumers eventually won’t really care what’s under the hood, as long as a car gets them from point A to point B and thoroughly distracts them during the ride.