Last month we wrote about a new iPhone App which turns your mobile phone into a remote control for your car. This feels like big news today but it’s not going to be a big deal in just a few short years. That’s because this area of mobile phone / automotive development is rapidly growing. It is predicted that by 2016 one in four cars will be equipped to support some type of remote operation likely via a cell phone (although possibly via other devices as well).

There are currently about 85,000 cars worldwide that are sold with systems that are capable of being remotely operated by a cell phone. The mobile phone can be used in conjunction with these cars to do simple things like turn the car on, turn the lights on and off, operate the door locks and window controls and turn on the heater or air conditioner in the car. Basically, you can use your phone to operate parts of the car even when you’re not in the car which is nice for when you forget to turn off the car lights and you’re already inside your house or it’s cold outside and you want to heat up the car before you get into it. It is predicted that the number of cars sold worldwide in 2016 that will have this same capability is over 20 million. Cars will also likely have advanced remote capabilities related to safety, car control and tracking stolen vehicles.

One important note that people are paying attention to is the fact that this type of option is particularly great for electric cars. As this technology develops, people will be able to use their cell phones to turn their cars on and get them warmed up or cooled down even while the car is still plugged in and charging. This means that you’ll be able to get your day started without starting to drain the battery of your car. As green car technology becomes more in-demand we’ll see a corresponding increase in the combination of green auto technology and mobile remote technology.