The car predictions for 2022

Cars are becoming ever ‘greener’, with more eco-friendly building processes put in place alongside sustainable materials being used in the cars themselves. Already, we’ve seen vegan materials used in a variety of cars and this trend looks only likely to continue.

But it goes further than that. Only recently, we’ve seen a partnership between Michelin and Bridgestone announced to delve into more eco-friendly production methods for tyres. So it’s not just the cars themselves.

As EVs become more popular, people are going to need more places to charge. Though there are still plenty around – more than 27,300 devices in the UK, according to charging specialists Zap-Map, there’s a greater need for more inner-city charging.

Recently, we’ve seen charging company Connected Kerb announce £1.9bn in investment, which will see 190,000 chargers installed by 2030. But some 30,000 of those will be installed in 2022 alone.

Though it’s easy to imagine a demise in the humble sports car, there are several performance-orientated models that look to make their presence known on 2022’s roads.

One big car to mention is the new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS. It’s the first time that the RS badge has been put on the Cayman, showcasing that this is going to be one serious performance car. But there are others to look out for too, including the new Toyota GR86 and Mercedes-AMG SL. For a taste of what’s already on offer, check out our best of fast sports cars feature here.

Where we drive and at what time can make a huge impact on how efficient our overall journeys are. It’s why Google Maps will soon be able to give drivers a proposed route based on efficiency rather than overall time. The feature has been launched in the US first but should find its way onto our shores soon.

The system combines vehicle and road data to determine the number of emissions created over the length of the trip. It gives drivers an eco-friendly option while on the move, giving them another way of reducing emissions while driving.

Synthetic fuels are seen by many people as the silver-bullet solution to mobility. Sometimes referred to as eFuels, they’re essentially no different from petrol and diesel, but rather than being produced from crude oil, they’re made from CO2 and hydrogen using renewable energy.

Porsche is one manufacturer throwing its weight behind synthetic fuels. In fact, it has already broken ground on an eFuel plant in Punta Arenas, Chile.

The idea of shared mobility is huge at the moment, with many companies tapping into the prospect of reducing emissions through this process.

One manufacturer really pushing for this idea is Renault. It even has a dedicated arm – called Mobilize – which looks at not only shared mobility, but mobility solutions in general. One concept it has created is the Duo, which has seats for two people and a zero-emissions powertrain which makes it ideal for nipping around the city.

Hydrogen-powered cars have yet to fully hit the ground running, with just two models currently on sale in the UK and only a handful of filling stations there to keep them topped up. However, it looks like hydrogen-powered cars will increase in number, with BMW currently developing a hydrogen-powered version of its X5.

Land Rover is getting in on the action too. It has already confirmed that it will start testing a hydrogen-powered version of its Defender early next year to see how the propulsion method could work in its chunky off-roader.

The crossover has boomed significantly over recent years and this looks to show no signs of changing as we head into 2022. Many manufacturers have announced revised versions of their crossovers, or introduced entirely new versions.

Highlights include Volkswagen’s Taigo and the compact Toyota Aygo X, alongside more left-field examples like the DS 4. That’s not to say that you need to hang around and wait if you’re keen to get behind the wheel of a crossover. In fact, you can check out some of the best on sale today here.