Increasingly advanced driver environment
AI in the driver environment, dashboard and infotainment system is nothing new. But there is more and more talk about turning the car into a kind of passenger, understanding and expressing what is happening inside and outside the car – and in this way helping the driver. For example, it can suggest available parking spaces. Or it can interpret what you say and adjust different functions based on that, or learn the driver’s preferences and adjust things based on that. At the CES trade show earlier this year, German technology company Bosch presented an advanced driver environment with exactly this focus.
Car complete with drone
A drone that can be controlled from a car – the Chinese car manufacturer BYD developed it in collaboration with the drone manufacturer DJI. The system is called Lingyuan and consists of a drone that can be launched from the roof and also charged there. This technology allows you to film your car while driving or check the traffic situation further ahead, of course based on the rules that apply where the driver and vehicle are.
2026 – the year of the robot taxi
Experiments with robot taxis have been running in the USA for several years, in cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. Trials are expected to begin across Europe in 2026, for example in London. Among other things, the Google company Waymo is starting to test self-driving taxi services, which in the future can be ordered via an app. However, one challenge in Europe is the different application of rules and requirements for self-driving vehicles in different countries.
New generation of electric car batteries – and the motor directly in the wheel
Shorter charging times and a longer range are expected from so-called solid-state batteries. Toyota has been investing in developing the technology for several years, with the goal of a range of 120 miles and fast charging in ten minutes, and mass production of such batteries between 2027 and 2028. In 2025, Huawei filed a patent for a battery for electric cars that should theoretically provide a range of 300 miles and have a charging time of five minutes.
Last fall, Mercedes-Benz conducted a test in which they drove 120 miles through Germany and Denmark with a destination in Sweden on one charge to test the technology.
Battery technology has come into the spotlight in 2026, not least in connection with the CES trade show in Las Vegas earlier this year. There, the Finnish Donut Lab showed, among other things, its battery, but also its hub motor, which was installed directly into the wheels of a lightweight sports car from British Longbow at the trade fair.
Back to basics
Amidst AI, robots, and other advanced technologies, something else literally stands out in the car driving environment of 2026: the physical button, which is making a major comeback. This was requested by many. Last but not least, Volkswagen has become the focus of customer anger because the company mentioned this special function in its presentation of the vehicle interior in connection with the presentation of the new ID.Polo.
– Clear physical buttons provide stability and confidence, says chief designer Andreas Mindt in a comment.
Other car manufacturers are also bringing back more buttons – which is apparently also related to the fact that the European car safety organization Euro NCAP will require car manufacturers from 2026 that certain functions can be operated with physical buttons. Additionally, more physical controls are considered a bonus in the organization’s security testing.
Smarter seat belt
Car safety and crash systems often protect passengers differently, as both researchers and road safety organizations have pointed out. However, innovations are underway to address differences based on gender, age and other factors. For example, Volvo has developed a new seat belt that will be introduced in the new Volvo EX60 later this year. The belt is designed to better protect people by adapting to the traffic situation and the person wearing it thanks to real-time data from the car’s sensors.
– The world’s first multi-adaptive seat belt is another milestone in vehicle safety and a great example of how we are using real-time data to save millions more lives. This is a significant improvement to the modern three-point seat belt, a Volvo invention introduced in 1959 that is estimated to have saved over a million lives, says Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars’ safety center, in a comment.
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