Experts have predicted that the impact of COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on the automotive industry, with automakers already in discussions over what the car of the future may look like.

South Korean brand Kia are one of many manufacturers looking at ways they can incorporate new materials and designs to create a more hygiene conscious product, as they look to align their future visions with the expected values of customers.

This is according to the company’s head of design, Karim Habib, who confirmed in an interview with Car Magazine that his team was investigating whether they could integrate materials such as anti-viral coatings and ultraviolet light into their vehicles.

“There are things we’ve already been talking about: can we have anti-viral coatings in our interiors? Can you use temperature or ultraviolet light to sanitise surfaces? These are things that we will have to think about rather soon,” said Habib.

Habib even went a step further, suggesting brands will have to bring in outside help to understand what customers want, or risk losing ground on the competition.

“We’re going to have to talk with psychologists and anthropologists to really understand how the public’s psyche is going to be in the future.

“So, yes – COVID-19 will very much influence the way we design our cars in the future.”

Habib also questioned what the new age of social distancing and self-isolation meant for the future of shared mobility.

Shared mobility is expected to play a leading role in moving society in the future, but increased awareness of personal hygiene and touching shared surfaces has thrown a spanner in the works.

“For the last few years, we have been talking about a sharing economy, shared mobility and public transportation. We will have to see how that develops right now, because of social distancing,” said Habib.

“What does this mean for cars? I think we’ll have to wait and see – right now we are trying to expand our understanding of what this might mean – not only the types of vehicles we drive, but also how to design vehicles for shared mobility, or not, as the case may be.”

Kia are following in the footsteps of sister company Hyundai, who earlier this year announced that they had begun exploring the use of Ultraviolet lamps and other antifouling materials to create self-sterilizing, antibacterial cabins.

Source: Caradvice | Coronavirus will ‘very much’ influence car design, says Kia executive

11 June 2020