Ezra Dyer: Thoughts on the State of Cars from the Year 2095

From the July/August 2025 issue of Car and Driver.
Here at Car und Driver, we prize our powers of prognostication even more than we adore our aptitude for alliteration. But even the most clairvoyant cyborgs among us couldn't have predicted how much cars would change over the past 140 years. Let alone that magazines would still exist.
Today, most younger people hold fractional ownership of a car, splitting the cost with as many as six other drivers. These vroommates, as they're called, make up an increasing share of the market. Flarers, the generation born after the solar storms of 2071, often can't afford a whole car and don't require one anyway, given the ubiquity of drone delivery services and the unexpected popularity of roller skates as a "last mile" transportation solution. Some companies are attempting to drive down prices with no-frills designs—extruded cars, inflatable cars, the IKEA En Skitbil flat-pack wagon—and a few of those cost less than $1,000,000, making them a viable option for budget shoppers with a high tolerance for petrochemical off-gassing.
As we near the next century, Saab has become the most prosperous car company on this planet since discovering trollennium on the site of its old headquarters.
Ezra Dyer
Senior Editor
Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He's now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CBS News

an hour ago

• CBS News

Oakland to install speed cameras in bid to curb dangerous driving

Oakland drivers who speed may soon find tickets in their mailboxes. City officials this week approved a new program to install automated speed cameras at 18 high-traffic locations across the city, aimed at catching drivers who exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. The program, modeled after a similar effort already in place in San Francisco, will target areas near schools, senior centers, and commercial corridors where speeding is most prevalent. According to Oakland transportation officials, the cameras will be distributed across every city district. Among the areas identified, Hegenberger Road near Spencer Street has the highest rates of speeding, with 43 percent of daily traffic exceeding the 40 mph limit by at least 10 mph. "It's real busy," said longtime resident David Quintero Nieves. "It's really dangerous." Quintero Nieves and his wife have lived at the corner of Hegenberger Road and Spencer Street for more than 30 years. He said many drivers treat the road like a freeway, with speeds reaching as high as 70 to 80 mph. The couple constantly worries that a car might one day lose control and crash into their home. "We've got used to seeing this kind of speeding around here and there's no one doing anything much about it," said Quintero Nieves. The city is hoping to change that. New legislation passed by the state now allows Oakland and five other California cities to install automated speed enforcement systems. Jamie Parks, Assistant Director of the Oakland Department of Transportation, explained how the program will work. "If it's a stolen vehicle, obviously we can waive that citation. But if you let somebody borrow your vehicle and they exceed the speed limits, you are responsible for their behavior," he said. Tickets will start at $50 for drivers caught going 11 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit. Higher speeds will result in higher fines, though Parks noted that the violations will not add points to a driver's record. "On average, over 30 Oaklanders die every year in traffic crashes and hundreds are injured. And we know that speed is the number one factor in those crashes," said Parks. However, the program has raised concerns among privacy advocates. Mike Katz-Lacabe, Research Director for the non-profit Oakland Privacy, warned about the broader implications of automated surveillance. "We're moving into more of a surveillance state, where there are more cameras, they're watching us, they're doing things on an automated fashion. And the question becomes 'how will those cameras be used in the future?'" said Katz-Lacabe. "If you get the ticket, the responsibility is on you to contest it and to prove that you're innocent, which is kind of a perversion of our current justice system where you're innocent until proven guilty." Still, city leaders who voted in favor of the initiative argue that law-abiding drivers have nothing to fear. "If you're speeding on a public street, you have no privacy," said East Oakland Councilman Ken Houston. "This is the first stage of bringing back law and order, law and order." Quintero Nieves, now 85, said he supports the move and hopes it brings lasting change. "Gonna be less accidents," said Quintero Nieves. City officials plan to have the cameras fully operational by this fall. A 60-day warning period will precede the issuance of official citations.

Yahoo

2 hours ago

• Yahoo

Toyota to raise US auto prices by more than $200 from July, Bloomberg News reports

(Reuters) -Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp will raise prices of some vehicles it sells in the U.S. by more than $200 from July, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. Some Toyota- and Lexus-branded models will have their prices increased by an average of $270 and $208, respectively, the report said, citing Nobu Sunaga, a spokesman for the company. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Car and Driver

2 hours ago

• Car and Driver

Report: Audi Might Build a U.S. Factory in Response to Tariffs

Audi is discussing the construction of a new factory in the United States, according to a new report from German publication Der Spiegel via Automotive News. Audi is said to be looking at the southern U.S., and the German news site's sources said it could cost around $4.6 billion to build. There's no word on what would be built there, but the popular Q5 SUV, currently made in Mexico, seems like a likely choice. The tariffs on imported vehicles implemented by the Trump administration have shaken up the car industry and led several automakers to investigate investing more heavily in production stateside. Now Audi may be considering building a new factory in the United States, as reported by German news website Der Spiegel via Automotive News. The move is reportedly being discussed as a potential way to appease President Trump in regard to tariffs. The report states that Audi is looking at the southern United States for its new factory, and that company sources estimate a cost of around $4.6 billion. We've reached out to Audi for comment and will update this story when we receive a response. It's unclear what this factory could be destined to build, but the compact Q5 SUV (pictured at top) seems like a good candidate. The Q5, which just entered a new generation for the 2025 model year, is Audi's bestseller and is currently assembled in Mexico. Other possibilities include the Q3, currently built in Hungary, and the Q7, assembled in Slovakia. Audi 2026 Audi Q3. Marc Urbano | Car and Driver 2025 Audi Q7. More Brands Looking to U.S. Plants This isn't the first time there have been rumors about Audi and U.S. production. In May, a report from German newspaper Automobilwoche suggested that Audi could produce cars at three different locations in the U.S. by making use of parent company Volkswagen's existing facilities. Volkswagen currently builds the Atlas SUV and the ID.4 EV at its factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is constructing another factory for the incoming Scout brand outside Columbia, South Carolina. Audi isn't the only automaker investing more into building cars in the U.S. Earlier this month, GM announced it was adding production of the Mexico-made Equinox to its Fairfax plant in Kansas in 2027. The Blazer, also made in Mexico, will also be added to the Spring Hill, Tennessee, facility in 2027. Meanwhile, Honda is shifting U.S.-market CR-V production away from Canada and towards its factories in Indiana and Ohio, and Nissan is reportedly thinking about moving Sentra assembly out of Mexico. Caleb Miller Associate News Editor Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.