Location forecast 2025: connected driving trends that could end the ICE age

Vehicle electrification plans are moving forward rapidly, with bans on internal combustion engine (ICE) cars being phased in to pave the way for a new era of electric vehicles (EVs). 

HERE360 explores some of the connected driving trends set to shape the future of transportation and fuel as we approach 2025.

Going off-grid 

Zero Carbon Charge has hopes to build 120 off-grid EV charging stations in South Africa. The project has been pushed back from 2025 to 2026 due to local red tape per reports from MyBroadband. 

Sitting between Klerksdorp and Wolmaransstad, the first customer-focused station is expected to open in November 2024, with six DC charging points, two AC chargers and advanced charging technology designed to significantly reduce charging times. 

These amenities will be powered by solar energy with large battery storage and backup generators using low-emission fuels. Public bathrooms and free yet fast Wi-Fi keep customers refreshed and connected, aiming to ease driver anxiety and help them plan their routes with the best charging stops along the way.

Is a DIY EV ever a good idea?

Eyes on Uruguay, now, and Organización Autolibre, an organization teaching individuals and companies across 14 countries to retrofit vehicles. As well as reducing carbon emissions and extending the lifespan of older vehicles, the practice of turning gas-fueled cars into electric ones can be up to four times cheaper than purchasing a new electric vehicle (EV) with prices starting at just US$6,000. 

Its popularity is gathering speed across Latin America, with the company offering online courses and hands-on training for technicians across 14 countries in the region. Critics have raised concerns about the process’s safety and the quality of some retrofit kits, with some countries calling for regulation and completely banning the retrofitting of certain cars, according to reports by Rest of World. 

In response, Autolibre co-founded the Latin American Retrofit Association to standardize the process as it increasingly gains traction.

Charged and in control

A groundbreaking lithium-ion battery with the same energy density as an electric car unit can recharge an EV or a smartphone by up to 80 percent in less than 10 minutes. 

This comes after US scientists at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory last year designed a lithium-air battery that could significantly boost EV range, potentially putting an end to range anxiety. 

The latest research was detailed in a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Their findings set a new record for ultra-fast charging - and it’s a significant leap compared to current commercial batteries, according to reports. 

The most promising detail of all? The new charging method doesn’t compromise battery stability, maintaining high performance after over 300 charge-discharge cycles. Plus, both lightweight and with long shelf lives, they are both ideal for use in portable electronics and electric vehicles.  

It’s thought that this breakthrough could dramatically reduce charging times for electric vehicles, addressing one of the main barriers to EV adoption, while supporting the shift toward clean energy transportation.

Connected from the cockpit 

Looking ready and set to become the next revolution in driving, software-defined vehicles (SDVs) are a new class of transportation that lean heavily on integrated software to control and manage key aspects of their operation, functionality and user experience. 

While traditional transportation relies on mechanical and electrical hardware-based analog systems, SDVs are built differently. They rely on integrated sophisticated software that can define, update and optimize the vehicle's behavior and features, including the digital cockpit.

From interactive displays to intuitive controls and smartphone mirroring, digital-first cockpits center on advanced technology integrated into modern car dashboards. By using a wide range of information, they enhance convenience and safety for drivers, providing access to features and data at their fingertips without requiring them to take their hands off the wheel or their attention off the road.

Panasonic Automotive Systems and Arm recently announced a partnership aimed at standardizing automotive architecture for SDVs. It’s hoped their collaborative venture can cut down lengthy development cycles while lowering costs with the ultimate aim of enabling the industry to adopt groundbreaking technology at a faster pace.

Electric avenues

While it might feel like science fiction, wireless EV charging technology is quickly becoming a scientific reality.  Wireless EV charging has already arrived in some parts of the world including pockets of Europe,  Asia, and North America. 

Like some of the latest wireless devices, wireless EV charging cuts cables out of the equation via inductive charging. So how does it work? There are two options when it comes to inductive charging: "static" wireless charging via a charging pad that a car can park on top of, similar to that of a wireless mobile phone charger. 

However, it’s the second, loftier and much more futuristic-sounding idea of "dynamic" wireless charging that is gathering speed. Roads are being built that can charge cars as they drive over them. 

It’s estimated that the wireless electric vehicle charging systems market will be worth more than US$825 million globally by 2027 with a quarter-mile stretch of road in Detroit, US, already rolled out. Electromagnetic cables were laid under the surface by wireless solutions provider, Electreon. This infrastructure allows inductive charging to take place when EVs drive over it. 

In fact, Philadelphia-based InductEV and Norway-based ENRX have recently announced a partnership to standardize wireless charging technology.