Top 5 Design Future Trends For The Transportation Industry

July 22, 2021
News

Modern technology has come a long way. Flying cars seem to become a reality. Okay, maybe not but hey, at least thanks to Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, travelling to space for leisure is so 2021! The transportation industry is in the midst of a technological revolution and is moving towards the convergence of new digital technologies with traditional vehicle manufacture. There’s a century of gasoline-burning, hand-on-the-wheel vehicles in our rear-view, while the road ahead is powered by electric, driverless technologies.

In the next five years, the production of electrically powered vehicles by all major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will rapidly accelerate, as will the advancement of autonomous features. As communication networks become more integrated and ubiquitous, vehicles will become more connected to other vehicles, infrastructure, and other road users through vehicle components, smartphones, and wearable devices. This connectivity will be used to improve the transportation experience through traffic management, navigation features, ordering and payment systems, infotainment, and safety features, among other uses.

With this we begin the top 5 design trends in transportation:

1. Increased Connectivity

As we mentioned, communication and thus connectivity will become increasingly important in the coming years. Thinking of Spotify and Amazon music playing on every Yacht, perhaps a personal WiFi and Netflix at close to normal pricing on an airplane? Yes, it will happen. Connectivity is an increasingly important feature of modern vehicles and autonomy will enable occupants to interact more freely with the outside world whilst travelling. Although many of the advances in this area relate to software, the development and use of materials such as plastics that can shield electronic assistance systems from electromagnetic interference are of growing interest to automotive manufacturers.

2. Online Purchases

COVID-19 changed the way we do a lot of things, including buying vehicles. One of the star acts of 2021 will be automotive digital retail. While online retail has already made significant inroads into the more organized automotive markets of North America and Western Europe, what the pandemic has done and will continue doing is push it into hyperdrive. So, it will be pivotal for brands to showcase their vehicles in an online-appealing manner.

3. Self-driving vehicles

The technology for self-driving trucks is still under perfecting and it has to overcome certain obstacles, such as improving driverless software to make it able to efficiently operate on urban roads with heavy traffic. However, it’s one of the transportation future trends. In the long-term perspective, transportation businesses should prepare for upcoming technology changes within the industry and start equipping their trucks with self-navigating management systems that can “learn” from real drivers.

In fact, this future is even closer than it can seem. Tesla’s electric Semi truck has autopilot features that can greatly facilitate the driving process. Walmart, along with many other companies, such as Pepsi, Asko, and Loblaw confirmed having ordered Tesla Semi trucks for their commercial needs.

Among other modes of transport, all-electric airplanes and electric ships are further on the horizon, with some estimates project fairly mainstream use by 2030.

Wind-powered transatlantic car carrier could cut carbon emissions by 90%

4. Electrification

The depleting fossil fuel reserves and the harm to the environment caused by their use call for promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs). For greater adoption, EVs need to address issues such as high price, poor battery, inadequate charging infrastructure, fleet electrification, as well as powering renewable energy-based charging grids. The US-based Startup Lordstown Motors Corps makes an all-electric pickup truck. The truck, EnduranceTM, is designed to be a sturdy work vehicle and comes with fewer moving parts compared to traditional commercial vehicles, thus enabling easier maintenance. Additionally, German startup ChargeX offers a modular EV charging solution that converts parking spaces into charging stations.

5. MaaS

With connected vehicles, new business models have come up that focus on shared mobility as an alternative to traditional vehicle ownership. This enables mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) and discourages unused vehicles. Such solutions meet the requirements of a city or a business without adding new vehicles, thus reducing waiting time for fleets and pollution caused by petrol or diesel vehicles. The US-based startup Launch Mobility develops a platform for a range of shared mobility solutions. Singapore-based startup Beam focuses on e-scooters to promote shared mobility in the Asia-Pacific region. Their scooters use an aviation-grade aluminum frame and are customized for sharing, safety, reliability, and durability.

With MaaS becoming a more notable trend in transportation, MaaS revenues are projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030.

Rinspeed’s MetroSnap

Conclusion

That just about wraps up this list of important transportation industry trends.

Like many other industries, the transportation space experienced quite a bit of disruption due to the pandemic. Though each subsector is affected differently, overarching trends towards greater micromobility, transportation access, and efficiency technologies are happening throughout the industry. And over the long term, should help the space grow.

The best way to keep up with these trends is to learn transportation design from CAM Institute of Design & Studio. Study subjects such as Emerging Materials, Composites, Aerodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Automotive Engineering, Automotive Modeling, Transportation for Particular Needs, Vehicle Packaging Design, and Automotive Clay and GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic). You will build new systems for enhancing mobility in transportation design. Enroll here.

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