In a recent news release, global marketing firm JWT noted the top 100 trends to watch in 2010. (See JWT Intelligence for the full, interactive list.) Two trends that immediately caught our eye were:

• Electric Cars – A number of manufacturers plan to introduce electric cars this year, including the Chevrolet Volt from General Motors and the Leaf from Nissan.
• Electric Car Networks – As electric cars become more available, people should expect to see networks of charging and battery-switching stations sprouting up in urban areas and on some highways to serve the needs of electric car drivers.

There also are a couple of other trends that may have a less-obvious but likely impact on cars and the industry, including:

• Brighter colors - As brighter, carnival-inspired colors make their way into our wardrobes, they may also influence the choices we make in car colors. Perhaps bright blue will be the new silver? (Related: Most popular car colors worldwide.)
• Green retrofitting – A quick web search for “electric car conversion kit” will turn up a surprising number of sites offering “how to” information and kits for sale. (If you’re not so inclined to do-it-yourself, but you want a more eco-friendly car, check out CarLocate’s Green Search.)
• Retail as third space – When is a car dealership not a dealership? How about when the sales team’s conference room is available as a public meeting space or the coffee bar in the service department is more popular with young professionals than the local coffee chain.  Across the country, retailers are trying hard to draw consumers into their stores... and keep them coming back.  More and more, that means they are looking at unique ways to use their space.
• Public bicycles – An alternative to traffic snarls and pollution in cities, many people are abandoning their autos altogether (which affects overall demand for cars) and opting for bike riding instead. Look for public-use bike stations to open up across a number of urban areas as this trend continues.

Leave a comment to let us know what you think about these trends, or let us know your thoughts on what will be “in” for autos in 2010.