Evolution and Revolution : Auto Talk
The men of the past, who burned firewood to keep themselves warm and hunted animals to fill their stomachs, couldn’t have developed without the ‘automobile’. The concept was simple. They lacked the capacity to run hundred kilometres a day or to carry hundred kilograms on their back. So they needed a machine that would do it for them. And voila! The automobile was born….
Back then it was a necessity. But then contentiousness is something that one can never associate with the human race. The automobiles needed development, and technology was the key. The new cars, the next generation ones, were faster and they could carry more load. Even then, the technology was focussed on man’s necessity more than his luxury.
But in modern times, necessity is met in every model of automobile that you see. All cars are capable of travelling at speeds much higher than what an average driver would consider to be customary. Despite having reached the pinnacle of providing man’s commuting necessities, the automobile sector continues to develop. But this time, development and technology are targeted towards luxury and comfort. Comfort is something that mankind will never cease to embrace. So whether it’s making sure that the seat is soft enough to make your bottom feel relaxed or ensuring that the seat is rightly angled so that your back doesn’t become stiff after a couple of long rides, technology has all of it covered — the design of your steering wheel and brake-accelerator, the design of your automatic hand gear — they are all focused on giving you the best and most fun-filled ride.
While the matter of luxury is taken so seriously that it is given foremost priority by customers when they buy cars, the manufacturers are not to be left behind. They can thrive in a rich market only by providing the customer’s needs — in this case, a comfortable car to drive. That obviously becomes the most important aspect of their design. With all the talk about comfort and luxury, let’s not forget another issue which is considered seriously by both the manufacturer and the customer — safety. While everyone likes the idea of having a smooth ride, nobody likes the idea of having the smooth ride smothered to bits due to the slightest of errors. Error is human. But humans hate to pay for their errors. The benchmark now changes for the designer — he has to make the safest as well as most comfortable car.
Every man has a ‘dream car’ — something that he fancies himself driving. Ideally it would be the car in the market which has the best features in terms of style, performance, comfort and safety. But just like how all dreams must end, all ‘dream cars’ also have an end. No matter how big you dream of your car, technology will always overpower you. What seems difficult today seems easy tomorrow and what seems impossible today will be made possible tomorrow. Technology is just as such. I am sure you have a dream car. Twenty years later, this car will become a ‘laughing stalk’ and thirty years later, you might never find this car in the market. Such is the rate at which unbelievable advancements in automobile engineering are being made.
Even though you may be forced to think that you have reached the pinnacle of technology, automobile engineers will surprise you with something bigger and better. It’s their job and they do it well.
As I sit in my car, I wonder what else can be done on a drastic level that will make my car so much better than what it is now. Will engineers think on lines of improving the comfort levels of the car? Or have we reached the tip of the mountain in terms of luxury and comfort? Will the car manufacturers still focus on performance, comfort and safety? Or will there be some new parameter that discriminates the manufactured cars to such an extent that every engineering strives to find solutions to improving the car along the lines of the new parameter? What does the automobile industry hold for us in the future? It is certainly interesting to consider our options now. But the truth will not be known anytime soon.
Some things can be ascertained by time only.
- The Pulse72+ Team
