The Future of Transportation Technology

As technology continues to evolve, there will be big changes coming to our roads and skies. The way we travel and commute could look completely different by the year 2021. New innovations hope to tackle some of the biggest issues plaguing transport today, by reducing pollution, curbing fatalities, and improving travel speed and ease.

Self-driving cars, hyperloops, air taxis, and more are already in testing, with visionaries such as Elon Musk at the helm. Below, we’ll discuss some of the upcoming transportation technology and its future impacts.

Hyperloop

In an attempt to reduce traffic congestion and increase the speed of travel, transportation tubes carrying passengers at speeds of 600 mph or more could be a reality by 2021. These tubes or systems of tubes would transport a pod through pressurized tracks at high speeds and would drastically cut travel time between medium-range distances.

Air taxis

More than 20 companies are in a race to get reliable and affordable air taxis on the market, although there are plenty of FAA regulations that still need to be worked through. These air taxis would take advantage of smaller airports throughout the U.S. to make city-to-city travel quick and easy. An air taxi lift from Manhattan to JFK could cost as little as $70.

Autonomous vehicles

Self-driving cars are already test piloting on our roads and autonomous trucks and ships aren’t far behind them. This technology has AI taking the driving wheel in vehicles, but there are still a lot of ethical questions to tackle around the technology.

For example, in the event of a crash-like incident, who should the car try to save: the passenger, or a pedestrian? Who is at fault in the event of a crash, who is at fault, the manufacturer or the owner? If it’s the manufacturer, what happens to the car insurance industry?

Check out the animated visual from The Zebra below for a look into how transportation will transform our roads and skies.