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Future of the car - Definition and Overview |
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The future of the car is a controversial topic, with some advocates arguing that the car has no future, and others that the car will in the future supplant most other forms of transport.
There are significant challenges in the near future to continued use of the car:
Technological Advances
There are many possible advances in technology that could influence the future of the car:
- Hybrid cars and more advanced combustion engines (eg. gas turbines) will improve fuel efficiency. Toyota intends to have hybrid versions for all its models by 2012.
- The smart car and driverless car making driving easier and safer.
- Cars linking up to form platoons.
- Cars platooning on guideways on a Personal rapid transit system, such as ULTra, for increased speed, safety and economy.
- Dual-mode cars able to use relatively small electric motors and fuel supplies or battery reserves for door-to-door service off electrically powered arterials.
- Cars may be able to use low carbon fuels such as hydrogen, fuel cells, and electricity instead of the internal combustion engine. (see hydrogen car, electric vehicle).
- Cars that use alternatives to gasoline : alcohol fuel, water (see hydrogen fuel), air (see air car), garbage, magnetism, solar power, Tesla electric cars (with no car batteries), and high speed electric cars (freeway-capable).
- Nanotech cars will be 100 times stronger than steel, to protect passengers in the event of a car crash.
- Magnetic levitation or maglev guideways with off-line stations for on-demand, independent travel is an attractive but distant goal.
- The flying car, such as the Moller Skycar.
- Personal space ships (or 'space boats'), for both air and space flight outside the atmosphere.
- Human transporters, such as the Segway, lowering the importance of the car for short-distance transportation.
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