The Car as an Accessory
I’m coming up on five years of owning my Nissan Cube, and while I hope to get another five years out of it, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I will want in my next car. There are certain features that I want to keep, like the continuously variable transmission. I’ll probably want at least a hybrid, if not a full electric, by then. But what appeals to me most is not the typical automotive options, but tight integration with my iPhone. I want full voice control while I’m driving. I want to control the vehicle’s systems with an app and view visualizations of performance data. I want the software in the car to be upgradable over the internet, so the next version of my phone is still compatible. I want my car to be a peripheral that seamlessly interacts with the rest of my devices, as well as a platform supporting development of additional applications. Seemingly more than any other automobile manufacturer, Ford is moving rapidly in that direction.
