Social media has led to an unprecedented level of human interaction, but one daily experience that's often missed out is the car journey. Enter VW SmileDrive, an app that aims to add a little bit of fun to every drive.

Tesla didn’t set out just to challenge the automotive sector – it wants to change it. It ranks in the top five brands among motor enthusiasts, and celebrity fans of Tesla include Jay-Z, Ben Affleck and Jay Leno. But how has an electric car company become a cool cult brand?

Where once buying a car meant travelling to a dealership and speaking directly with forecourt dwellers, this is changing. It is estimated that at least 2,800 dealerships could disappear in the US alone by 2020. So in 2014, how exactly are people going about purchasing a new set of wheels?

The US car insurance industry is worth around $199 billion - but car use is declining, and one third of people sought a new insurer in 2013. Adapting to changing usage patterns and customer demands, Metromile makes insurance more customer-friendly with a pay-by-the-mile scheme.

A conduit between cars and phones, Nissan's stylish Nismo Smartwatch has a range of utilities beyond 'ordinary' smartphone capabilities. Will it cleanly slot into the 'internet of things'?

The global premium and luxury car industry was worth €319 billion in 2013. As Audi, BMW and Mercedes compete for market share, can Mercedes' Predictive User Experience – which accurately predicts the driver’s behaviour and adjusts to their preferences – put it on top?

The desire to own and drive your own car used to be a life-defining characteristic for young Brits – but its importance is fading. And it’s the same case in other countries too, from the US and Germany to Japan and Australia. But why? And how is the car industry responding?

As Millennials increasingly perceive ownership as a burden, car-sharing companies like DriveNow are changing the game. From Dusseldorf to Munich, they’re catering to an ever-growing percentage of young Germans for whom owning a car is no longer a viable or ‘cool’ thing to do.