How much will connected cars interfere with our lives?

The idea that driving technology in the near-future will reduce us to the passive observer, and the car as the decision-maker, is mind-boggling.

But autonomous cars aren’t anything new. Tesla, Google and Mercedes have been piloting this technology for years – with varying levels of success. In fact, we’ve written a few blogs on the subject as well.

Of course, the question boils down to, “When will driverless cars be in mainstream usage?” – with the answer being a non-committal, “We don’t know”. However, whilst the immediate inception of driverless cars is shrouded in mystery, one aspect of driving technology close on the horizon is ‘connected cars’.

With the recent scandals surrounding Facebook and the implementation of GDPR, discussions regarding data collecting and selling have never been more prominent. The mass production of connected cars will likely see this topic resurface, as it entails the collection of (anonymous) data from your everyday usage of basic car preferences.

So, you hear a song on the radio you don’t like and turn it off? Here’s the rub – that data will then be passed along to the maker of the car, who will distribute it to a developer working on a driving app. Your choices on the road will also be monitored. If you park your car, future technology will alert a specialist provider who will then access your location, remotely unlock the fuel cap, and top up the car with fuel.

These are all relatively theoretical uses, but experts suggest that 98% of us could be using connected cars by 2021. It’s a stark realisation that in just three years, even the speed of your car down a specific bypass or music choice could be bought and sold to the highest bidder.

Of course, this makes connected cars sound wholly nefarious. But, consider that with this new technology cars will be able to cater music to your mood, or order pizza for you on your journey home. It all depends on what you value – convenience or privacy?