It is interesting to see how much the car industry is starting to catch up to industries such as avaition and automation in recent years. One could actually be forgiven for being of the opinion that car manufacturers have not really been on the forefrunt of technological innovation as pehaps the aviation industry has been.
But the tide does seem to be turning with many car manufacturers now starting to incorporate innovative safety features and designs into their fleets - even though most of these are still only available in the luxury flagship models. But one cannot help but wonder: where will technology ultimately lead the car manufacturing industry? Are we moving towards a car of the future that would be able to automatically take us to our destination by simply providing the location of where we want to go, or will the car still be a tool - an interactive tool - in human hands.
Well, the possibilites do not seem to be set in stone. It is one of those rare cases where people have conflicting idealogies when it comes to moving from point A to point B. Some of us would like to maintain a sense of control while driving - sort of using it as a tool to enjoy freedom and the ability to move around at will. Some would prefer to just have a driver taking them to their desired destination.
Energy source
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.
Energy savers
Various technologies have been developed and utilized to increase the energy efficiency of conventional cars or supplement them, resulting in energy savings.
• Regenerative braking recaptures energy that would otherwise be lost as waste heat from the brake pads.
• BMW's Turbosteamer technology to harness the heat generated by conventional internal combustion engines and use it to generate mechanical energy [1], resulting in a 15% increase in fuel efficiency. [2]
• Utilization of waste heat from D.W. as useful mechanical energy through exhaust powered steam, stirling engines, thermal diodes, etc..[1]
• 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 hybrid car are examples of ultra-low-drag vehicles.
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.
But the tide does seem to be turning with many car manufacturers now starting to incorporate innovative safety features and designs into their fleets - even though most of these are still only available in the luxury flagship models. But one cannot help but wonder: where will technology ultimately lead the car manufacturing industry? Are we moving towards a car of the future that would be able to automatically take us to our destination by simply providing the location of where we want to go, or will the car still be a tool - an interactive tool - in human hands.
Well, the possibilites do not seem to be set in stone. It is one of those rare cases where people have conflicting idealogies when it comes to moving from point A to point B. Some of us would like to maintain a sense of control while driving - sort of using it as a tool to enjoy freedom and the ability to move around at will. Some would prefer to just have a driver taking them to their desired destination.
Energy source
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.
Energy savers
Various technologies have been developed and utilized to increase the energy efficiency of conventional cars or supplement them, resulting in energy savings.
• Regenerative braking recaptures energy that would otherwise be lost as waste heat from the brake pads.
• BMW's Turbosteamer technology to harness the heat generated by conventional internal combustion engines and use it to generate mechanical energy [1], resulting in a 15% increase in fuel efficiency. [2]
• Utilization of waste heat from D.W. as useful mechanical energy through exhaust powered steam, stirling engines, thermal diodes, etc..[1]
• 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 hybrid car are examples of ultra-low-drag vehicles.
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.
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