Technology has become entwined with the automotive industry in a way that has changed transportation forever. The way we view cars has evolved at a rapid pace over the last decade. This change has been so fast, in fact, that its hard to remember all the progress that we’ve made.
From the rise of electric vehicles to the integration of artificial intelligence, the last decade has been packed with technological advancements. While certain things have caused controversy, there have been massive strides in the realms of efficiency and sustainability and the cabins of current cars would send people from ten years ago into shock.
Taking a trip through time, we explore the most impressive and impactful technological innovations of the last decade. We go from era to era to explore how quickly things have changed, outlining the defining moments in recent automotive history. We also provide some of the most prominent examples of said technology from each era.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources.
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The Rise of Advanced Safety Features: 2015 – 2017
Interior shot of the infotainment screen in a 2017 Tesla Model S
It is hard to believe that 2015 was ten years ago, but alas. While we’ve become fairly used to new cars coming equipped with comprehensive safety features and driver assists, they weren’t always the norm. Around ten years ago, automakers really started to push the trend.
Perfecting Driver Assists
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go
One of the most prevalent pieces of tech that saw major progression during this time period was automated breaking. Where it was once a niche feature that you only saw on a few vehicles, it really started to gain traction around this time. Examples of this came in the form of their inclusion in Toyota’s Safety Sense package as well as Honda Sensing.
Adaptive cruise control was something that had already been around for a while, but certain manufacturers began expanding on the system, including stop-and-go functionality in their vehicles. This meant that some cars would begin to have the ability to drive themselves in heavy traffic. BMW was a big proponent of this technology with Active Cruise Control, as was Audi who integrated Traffic Jam Assist in some models.
Tesla’s Autopilot Makes Waves
One of the biggest tech features to come out of this era was an innovation by Tesla that we’re all pretty familiar with at this point. The 2015 Tesla Model S introduced Tesla Autopilot 1.0. This system was innovative and laid the groundwork for all the modern autonomous driving systems in cars today.
Tesla’s Autopilot 1.0 combined the what they called Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC), Autosteer, and Auto Lane Change, to showcase the most advanced autonomous driving system on the market at the time. It was the world’s first taste of what a fully-autonomous vehicle could look like.
The Early Expansion of EVs
- Tesla Model S
- Chevrolet Bolt EV
- Tesla Model X
- BMW i3
- Hyundai Ioniq Electric
Electric vehicles weren’t a foreign concept at this time, but they certainly didn’t have the traction that they do now. However, there were some key advancements around this time that pushed the segment to be better. For instance, Tesla launched the Model X, a quirky vehicle with flacon-wing doors.
Even more impressive, however, was the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Despite being a humble hatchback, this was a major step for the EV segment as it proved that electric vehicles didn’t have to be absurdly expensive. With a starting MSRP of $37,495, the 2017 Bolt EV was affordable and had a range of more than 200 miles.
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Expanding Connectivity and Improving Performance: 2017 – 2019
Connectivity is something that we somewhat take for granted in the current age. We forget the stumbling blocks that lead us to where we are today. From 2017 to 2019, automakers made huge strides in making interiors more comfortable with modern technology. They also used that tech to push performance.
The Rise of Digital Cockpits
- Digital dashboards
- AI-Assistants
- Vehicle-to-X communication
Starting in 2017, we really started to see a huge uptick in the amount of digital real estate in vehicles. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz debuted the MBUX system in the A-Class, featuring an impressive AI-powered voice assistant. Many models, including the A-Class, utilized a fully-digital dashboard, such as the 2020 Porsche Taycan.
Vehicle-to-everthing communication was another peice of tech that evolved during this time. Cadillac introduced vehicle-to-vehicle communication in the 2017 CTS to provide real-time traffic updates. Tesla also refined its over-the-air update system to give owners access to new features.
Strides in EV and Performance Technology
This was the era where hybrids and EVs really started to show promise. They may not have taken over the market yet, but models were launching that were easily threatening the dominance of the combustion engine. The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid showed that plug-in hybrids could be performance machines and models like the Jaguar I-Pace, the Audi e-Tron, and the Kia Niro EV threatened the dominance of Tesla.
Meanwhile, there were major steps being taken to showhow modern tech could be used to enhance performance even at the highest level. Monsters like the McLaren Senna began using active aerodynamics to optimize downforce and Nissan started using artificial intelligence in the GT-R Nismo for torque vectoring.
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The Boom of Electric Vehicles and Autonomous Driving: 2020 – 2022
Developments in the world of electric vehicles had been taking place for the last couple of years, but concepts that we were excited about were finally starting to show practical results at the start of the new decade. The shift towards the mass adoption of sustainable vehicles was something that we felt heavily.
Electric Vehicles Hit the Masses
- Tesla Model Y
- Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Kia EV 6
The rise of EVs felt gradual and then all at once. At the turn of the decade, models like the Tesla Model Y and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 were designed to take over the crossover market, which they did. The Model Y has continued to prove its dominance, with it becoming the best selling vehicle worldwide in 2024.
While performance oriented models were impressive, it was the EVs designed for the average person that really showed how far this technology had come. The range of EVs had been increasing and charging networks were being expanded. It finally felt like EVs were breaking away from being something nice and becoming more mainstream.
Chasing After Fully Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous driving had become the next big thing for automakers to chase. Level two autonomy was begining to become more common and brands were looking to upgrade to level three autonomy. Honda’s 2021 Legend EX became the first vehicles sold to consumers with level three autonomy in Japan and Mercedes-Benz started rolling out level three autonomy through their Drive Pilot system for use in Germany.
The Beginings of Hydrogen Technology
Since electric vehicles began their rise, hydrogen has always hovered in the conversation as a potential alternative. At the start of the decade, we started to see some practical examples of this tech start to emerge. Toyota updated the Mirai, their hydrogen fuel cell powered sedan and Hyundai demonstrated how their Nexo SUV aimed to push the envelope. There is also a ton of research into developing hydrogen combustion powertrains.
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Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, and the Next Generation: 2023 Onwards
This is where we begin to look at the present advancements in the automotive world and what the future might look like. There has been a massive focus on integrating artificial intelligence into cars, which was fast-tracked with the launch of things like ChatGPT. There is also a massive focus on improving battery technology and making vehicles even more efficient.
AI-Driven Infotainment Systems and Driver Monitoring
While we saw the first use of artificial intelligence in cars a little earlier, the current era has seen a massive increase in the adoption of the technology. For instance, BMW introduced iDrive 8.5 and 9 which utilizes AI powered voice integration. Tesla and Mercedes have also refined their chatbot-style assistants.
With more and more automakers including different levels of autonomous driving in their vehicles, regulations have begun demanding ways to monitor the attentiveness of drivers. This has resulted in automakers integrating driver awareness monitoring into vehicles with hands-free driving.
The Race for Solid-State Batteries
The most prevalent advancement in the world of automotive technology, is the research being undertaken to develop solid-state batteries. These batteries utilizes a solid electrolytes instead of liquid or gel ones and promise improved charging rates and larger capacities while also being smaller and ligher.
There are a number of automakers who have already begun production of solid-state batteries, with many expecting to launch vehicles featuring the new tehcnology by the end of the decade.
