Evolution of the In-vehicle Entertainment
Global electric vehicle sales hit record levels in 2021, almost doubling compared to 2020 sales and reaching 6.6 million (sales share close to 9%) according to the International Energy Agency. Consequently, the total number of electric cars on the road is now 16.5 million vehicles. With a net-zero emissions scenario predicted for 2050, it is expected that there will be more than 300 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, accounting for 60% of new car sales.
The growth in electric vehicle sales can be attributed to various reasons, including breakthroughs in battery technology, which have led to increased range, greater interior space, and a better driving experience. The smart experience offered by electric cars is also constantly evolving, featuring improved hardware and software, and new intelligent car machine systems that can meet all kinds of driving needs. Furthermore, entertainment has also been greatly improved, with people now able to play AAA games in their electric cars.
For example, Tesla announced that it would include Steam in its cars. In addition, BYD, Polaris, and Hyundai also recently announced a partnership with NVIDIA to add its cloud gaming service to vehicle systems.
So playing video games in cars may become a new trend. When it comes to entertainment experiences, it's amazing how fast cars have evolved and how efficiently they have changed from old to new. It took less than 100 years for automotive entertainment systems to evolve from the simplest radios to today's expansive HD screens and interconnected gamings.
The first publicly available car radio was produced in 1930, quickly establishing itself as the primary form of in-car entertainment. Drivers and passengers grew accustomed to listening to music, news, weather forecasts, and so on on the radio in their cars.
In 1965, Ford introduced the first onboard tape player as a built-in feature of their original cars. For the next 20 years, cassette tapes were the dominant form of musical entertainment in car compartments.
CD players were first installed in car compartments in 1984. Compared to the classic cassette tape, the new CD record completely solved issues like limited tape capacity, easy cassette, and degaussing making them a rather advanced and fashionable entertainment equipment.
Starting in the late 1980s, in-car TVS capable of playing VCDS in the car became a high-end entertainment feature that appeared frequently in the back of luxury cars.
With the advent of the 21st century, the concept of the Internet of Vehicles has been introduced into the vehicle and engine system. The chip integrated into the vehicle and engine has become increasingly powerful, enabling the installation of a complete operating system in the vehicle and a range of software applications directly into cars.
Voice recognition control, online music and video applications, food delivery, ticket purchasing, and other applications have changed consumers' habits in cars. Whether or not you're still connecting to your car via Bluetooth or phone mapping, the connectivity of a smart car will make your car's life more interesting.
With the upgrading of intelligent hardware performance and the rapid development of new energy vehicles, car life has also undergone some changes. Car makers are starting to expand the entertainment capabilities of their systems, making gaming in the car a possibility.
It is foreseeable that future developments in intelligent car technology will focus on gaming functions. In the future, you may not just listen to music and watch movies while charging. You can also invite friends who wait for the next charge to play a game.
