There are many drivers for growth in the motor industry but among the most important is the rise of the mega-cities with a population of 20m or more, according to Jaguar Land Rover engineering chief Wolfgang Ziebart.
“There are currently 24 mega-cities in the world and this is expected to double by 2025, with at least 10 of those emerging in Asia. What does this mean for the car industry? It means our vehicles will have to be cleaner, more capable and better connected, that is what people will demand.
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“They will want to have their own space, to be able to get from A to B in style and they will want to be able to communicate.”
Will they also want the car the drive itself and how far away is the industry from producing the autonomous car?
“We are actually very close,” Ziebart said. “Most of the building blocks are in place if you look at things like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings, radar and other driver assistance measures.
“One area where we will see some exciting developments in the near future is connectivity with smartphones. That industry is setting the pace at the moment and we will start to see greater integration.”
Ziebart also sees a future for pure electric cars. “They will definitely gain momentum,” he said. “Not perhaps as the main family car but as a second or third vehicle in the household.”
