Take a ride in car of the future

Motorists could be booking motorway space to travel to work in an "entertainment hub" by 2050.

The Centre for Future Studies in Britain says motorists will travel in timed slots within pods, or groups of vehicles. The centre's researchers say that will be necessary because by then drivers' increasing reliance on gadgetry such as satellite navigation will have numbed their sense of direction.

But for fun, motorists will be able to change the colour of their vehicles to match their mood and download the latest software to boost vehicle performance.

Media companies will provide in-car games and videos that do not require long periods of concentration or interaction.

Technology will control the vehicle, freeing the driver to watch the news, do video conferencing or answer emails. The upside, says the study, commissioned by Volkswagen-owned Skoda, is that road safety will improve.

"The most effective car manufacturers spot the trends of tomorrow and start building them into the cars of today," says researcher Dr Frank Shaw.

The main factors governing design, manufacture and how cars are used will be technology, energy supply and demographics.

"Technology will make cars safer, cleaner and more intelligent and will also provide alternatives to our oil dependency," Shaw says. "The car of the future will be far more of a versatile, eco-friendly, cyber-connected travelling space."

The driving licence of the future will be electronic; authorised drivers will be recognised by maps of their eyes - if the car doesn't like what it sees it won't start either.

The study says the main task of the car in 2050 will be the same as today - to take occupants directly from A to B as safely as possible, at reasonable speed, with minimum fuel consumption and minimum impact on the environment.

It researchers use a women called Penny for a 2050 scenario.

Penny walks to her company car to go to work. It is blue today; yesterday it was orange. She extends her thumb and speaks a password. The security system scans her thumb and voice-print before unlocking and opening the door.

Penny settles herself in the driving seat. The air temperature is pre-adjusted the way she wants and the intelligent upholstery fabric also maintains a stable temperature.

An automatic mood-sensing system plays soothing music and the de-stressing aroma of lavender wafts through the cabin.

Penny's electronic licence has already been inserted and approved and her retina scanned to ensure a cross match with the licence. Any attempt to drive while banned would, of course, result in immobilisation.

She tells the car of her destination - the work-hub in the next town - and the time she wants to arrive.

If she wants to contact anyone, she doesn't need to worry about forgetting names - her active contact lenses relay a picture of anyone in her field of vision to her computer, which can instantly give their details.

The car, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, is performing better since she downloaded new engine management software.

Her slot on the motorway has been booked with the network management system but on her way to join the car-pod, she receives a message asking her to stop and pick up a passenger.

The satellite navigation system gets her swiftly to his address. Car-pooling is worth the effort - an extra passenger reduces the motoring toll charge by 25 per cent.

Penny is soon with her allotted pod of vehicles and hands control of the car to the computer. It checks speed and brake systems to maintain a safe distance from the other vehicles and monitors road and weather conditions.

Penny sips coffee and catches up with email and TV news.

Another network directs her car to a parking space and tells her through a voice monitor that a tyre technician will meet her; sensors have detected the tyres need changing.

Penny arrives right on schedule.

Outside, in the parking station, tyres changed, the car is ready to take someone else to a meeting before being returned to the pool where it is booked for Penny's journey home.