Cars in the Age of Gadgets.
Not so long past, a car was predominantly a mechanical marvel, a contraption of machinery, pedals, and metal. The technology embedded within was minimal, often limited to a radio or a rudimentary dashboard. Looking to electric cars as icon of modern car evolution, have went over their traditional role and morphed into sophisticated gadgets, delicately integrated with digital interfaces, voice controls, and software updates. This advancement redefines the classic understanding of mobility and driving, and restructures the human-tech relation in profound terms. There is no escape from the digital world. As technology increasingly dictates the driving experience, we must ask ourselves: is the car truly our companion, or have we allowed it to become something else entirely?
“We enjoy the bath of technology, not realising we are boiling”.
The car’s evolution into a gadget, while enhancing convenience and connectivity, it may inadvertently diminish the driver’s sensory immersion and autonomy. But there’s a more subtle shift at play. In the past, we travelled with gadgets. Today, we’re traveling inside gadgets. The car itself has become a living, breathing tech hub.
We’re shifting from an industrial era to a network age, an era when technology is not merely an instrument but an integral part of human capacity and identity. This is evident in how EV owners now plug their cars in as routinely as charging a smartphone, a simple yet profound example of how cars has become an integral part of our everyday digital life. The once purely mechanical act of driving is increasingly mediated by software, more akin to operating a high-tech gadget than piloting a ‘Car’.
Yet, it’s unclear whether cars invited people into the new tech era, or if it was the other way around whether consumers who already immersed in a world dominated by gadgets and AI innovation, demanded that their cars evolve into technological marvels as well.
Today, people don’t just want cars, they want cars that function like gadgets, seamlessly integrated with the same tech they use daily. As the world around us becomes more digitised, car buyers are increasingly prioritising fancy tech options over traditional driving legacy. In fact, the car brochure has transformed as well, no longer a manual on performance specs, but rather a gadget catalogue, highlighting cutting-edge features like voice recognition, autonomous driving, and digital interfaces. Automotive companies have also shifted their focus from mere transportation to crafting unconventional, interconnected gadgets on wheels. This shift reflects a broader cultural change, where owning a car is no longer just about transportation but about possessing a high-tech device that fits seamlessly into the digital ecosystem of daily life. What everyone feels once a mechanical machine has now become a dynamic fusion of software settings, touch displays and charging bank?
In this new age of connected vehicles, as we hurtle towards a future dominated by more technology, and the car is a microcosm of this shift. As we move forward, isn’t it fascinating how, now of delivery, the vehicle’s software and security settings are configured and personalised, transforming the car into a sophisticated device akin to a smartphone on wheels?
SEVENTY6OCTANE 