what are driveshafts made of? Rear wheel drive (prop shaft)?

Where is it going in the future?

Everyone already answered the first part of the question. The second part....

A driveshaft is used to transfer direction of spin from the motor/engine/transmission's output shaft, to the drive wheels. Driveshafts will be around as long as we are spinning things, regardless of what type of technology our motors embrace (gasoline, electric, hybrid, etc), because they are a mechanical part. Not every machine or vehicle uses them, but they will always be used somewhere in machinery, much like a sprocket, cam, or cog.

That being said, i have seen driveshafts made of carbon fibre. I have also seen driveshafts made of springs. My old BMW motorcycle had a driveshaft connecting the rear wheel to the transmission (instead of a chain or belt like normal motorcycles). When removing the driveshaft from it's housing, it proved to actually be a heavy spring, not a tube .

Driveshafts are rarely shafts at all, in the common sense of the word. They are usually tubes, with the exception of some agricultural or mechanical devices, where an actual bar of steel is used. Or a spring, as stated above.

Drive Shaft Material

Fairly heavy welded steel tube with machined sliding splines for suspension travel and forged/machined ends to accept machined universal joints.

Parts are welded in a jig, tested and adjusted for run-out (straightness) and spin balanced.

Hollow tube is stronger than solid bar of same weight.

This is a pretty static technology. I would imagine that like other structures there is research to make the drive shaft lighter while retaining strength. Perhaps carbon fiber over a thin wall steel or aluminum core??? Haven't heard.

It will probably be ancient history when we are all plugging our cars in at night.

Steel tube-the yokes are welded on and balanced. They can b made out of drill pipe also,but this is an expensive drive shaft,2 b used on cars.

Steel and Aluminum depending on the vehicles application..

Can you elaborate?