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Future Car Technologies

Advanced control

Platoons of cars that are controlled by the lead car

Automated highway systems

Vehicle infrastructure integration

Energy source

Main article: Alternative fuel vehicle

One major problem in developing cleaner, energy efficient automobiles is the source of power to drive the engine. A variety of alternative fuel vehicles have been proposed or sold, including electric cars, hydrogen cars, and compressed-air cars. In one experiment done to improve the future of cars, a new kind of battery was installed which can be easily removed, and recharged in two different ways. First, by a generator integrated with the IC and second by removing the cassettes so that they can be recharged off-board in the home ( Charters, Watkinson, Wykes, & Simpkin, 2008). d

Energy savers

Only about 15% of the energy from the fuel is used efficiently. The rest of the energy is lost to engine and driveline inefficiencies and idling. Therefore, the potential to improve fuel efficiency with advanced technologies is enormous.

Various technologies have been developed and utilized to increase the energy efficiency of conventional cars or supplement them, resulting in energy savings.

Regenerative braking Regenerative braking technology saves and stores energy for future use or as back up power. When conventional brakes are used, 30% of the energy is lost in the form of heat (Raunekk, 2009). Regenerative braking uses this energy to recharge the batteries in a hybrid vehicle.

BMW’s Turbosteamer BMW Turbosteamer concept uses energy from the exhaust gases of the traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to power a steam engine which also contributes power to the automobile (Hanlon, 2005). This can increases energy efficiency up to 15 %.

Compressed air Hybrid is an engine made by researchers at Brunel University, UK, which forces highly compressed air into the engine, which they claim reduces fuel consumption by 30%.

Utilization of waste heat from D.W. as useful mechanical energy through exhaust powered steam, stirling engines, thermal diodes, etc..

Using computational fluid dynamics in the design stage can produce vehicles which take significantly less energy to push through the air, a major consideration at highway speeds. The Volkswagen 1-litre car and Aptera 2 Series are examples of ultra-low-drag vehicles.

Installing Vortex prevention devices at the back of the roof of a car reduces drag and therefore improve fuel efficiency.

Materials

Duraluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and carbon nanotubes may totally replace all steel in cars (potentially improving lightness and strength). Aluminum, carbon fiber and fiberglass are currently being used more in cars today.

See also

Personal automated transport

Automobile dependency

MIT Car

Microcar

Flying car (aircraft)

New Mobility Agenda

New urbanism

Transit-oriented development

Vehicle Infrastructure Integration

Hydrogen economy

Driverless car

References

^ “BMW unveils the turbosteamer concept”. Gizmag. 2005-12-14. http://www.gizmag.co.uk/go/4936/. Retrieved 2006-11-15. 

^ FuelSavers article on vortex prevention

3. Xiang, Zhang, Jia, Wang, Jianzhong, Yang, Zhibiao, Cai, Yuanzhang, Hou & Qinglin, He. (2008). Prospects of new energy Vehicles for china market. IEEE, Retrieved from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.libdb.njit.edu:8888/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4784380&isnumber=4784367

4. Strattan, Robert D. (2004). The Electrifying future of the hybrid automobile. Potentials, IEEE, 23(3), Retrieved from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.libdb.njit.edu:8888/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=1341777&isnumber=29564 DOI: 10.1109/MP.2004.1341777

5. Charters, Derek, Watkinson, Martin, Wykes, Dave, & Simpkin, Bob. (2008). H4v-hybrid four wheel drive vehicle. Hybrid and Eco-Friendly Vehicle Conference, 2008. IET HEVC 2008. Retrieved from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.libdb.njit.edu:8888/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4784369&isnumber=4784367

6. Advanced technologies & energy efficiency . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/Feg/atv.shtml

7. Raunekk, Initials. (2009, November 30). What is Regenerative braking technology? . Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/57860.aspx

8. Hanlon, Mike. (2005, November 13). Http://www.gizmag.com/go/4936/. Retrieved from BMW unveils the turbosteamer concept

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Future car technologies

Future Cars at HowStuffWorks

What if Cars Could Drive Themselves? (from U. Washington’s Innovative Transportation Technologies website, last modified May 2003)

Hypercar Concept – Rocky Mountain Institute

RUF (Rapid Urban Flexible) dualmode transport system

Roadmap of Key Developments in transportation

Article on platooning and e-guideways from Francis Reynolds, grandfather of dualmode.

Fuel-Cell Hype vs. Economic Reality, National Public Radio interview with Matt Wald

Wired Magazine, How Hydrogen Can Save America*

The Hydrogen Economy: Opportunities, Costs, Barriers, and R&D Needs (2004) National Academy of Engineering (NAE), Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (BEES)

Urban Light Transport website

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Training From the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium.

New Scientific American article

Fuel Efficient Vehicles Now An activist site with much information on what can be done now to do to improve things even more.

Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems

La Macchina

Categories: Automobile history eras | FuturologyHidden categories: Articles needing additional references from December 2006 | All articles needing additional references
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