Cars of the Future

CARSOFTHEN UTUR 2050 1 BILLION DEMAND FOR OIL CURRENT NUMBER OF VEHICLES WORLOWIDE 2003 GLOBAL DEMAND FOR OIL 2,646 MTOE 3 BILLION 2050 Yon . MILLIONS OF TONS OF OIL FQUINALENT NUMBER OF VEHICLES PROJECTED PROJECTED GLOBAL DEMAND FOR OIL IN 2050 7,027 MTOE • MILIONS OF TONS OF OIL EQUIVALENT AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNERS once thought we'd someday whiz around in flying cars with atomic reactors under the hood and glass-bubble tops. But now that the 21st century is unfolding, the car of yesterday's future doesn't exactly look like that. Today, futurists predict that tomorrow's cars will be designed for an increasingly crowded world with oil shortages and environmental woes. They'll likely be built out of new and improved materials, will utilize advances in robotics, computing and telecommunications, and will be powered by clean, renewable energy sources. SOLAR POWERED AUGMENTED REALITY You won't have to worry obout steering in the outomated future, so you can spend as much time os you want staring out the window. And you'll wont to. Toyoto hos conceived of a new type of electronics-laden window that will allow a possenger to zoom in on objects that he or she sees outside. The window will then display data about that abject (for example, the distance to that object, or a language translation of a sign). If you don't like the scenery, you'll be able to draw your own imoginary trees, landmarks or backdrops on the glass to integrate them into your view. Running your car on electicity from the plug isn't altogether "green," when there's a good chance the juice comes from a coal-fired plant that pumps out greenhouse gos emissions. But visionaries have already customized a Toyota Prius to run o short distance on power from solar ponels. Advances like the super-lightweight, super-efficient Dyson Digitol Motor may moke it feasible for the sun to be a fuel source for wheels. FLOATING INSTEAD OF ROLLING Future cars may have "dualmode" copability, which will allow them to switch from conventional roads to special high-speed magnetic levitation expressways, where they could travel at 200-plus miles per hour (321-plus kilometers per hour). NEW MATERIALS ROBOT DRIVEN GM envisions a car equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities and safety sensors. These cars will be linked together on highways in a wireless network that allows them to interact and Steel is on its way out, to be replaced by carbon fiber, which not only is stronger and tougher, but is olso lighter. Therefore, future cars will be vastly more fuel efficient. organize themselves on the road for better efficiency. Meanwhile, drivers can just sit back, relax and text message their friends. Fuel efficiency of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in 2050, compared to gasoline vehicles: 200 to 0. 300% HIGHER Current maximum Amount of CO2 emitted by conventional gasoline-powered car: efficiency of current experimental solar cars (solar energy input to power): 402 GRAMS PER MILE DRIVEN 98% Amount of present U.S. carbon emissions from cars and light trucks that could be eliminated by 2050 if hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (250 GRAMS PER KILOMETER DRIVEN) Amount of CO2 emitted if an electric Amount that vehicle is recharged from existing U.S. electricity grid: experimental solar car efficiency has increased since 1987: become widespread: 185 GRAMS PER MILE DRIVEN 30% 60% (115 GRAMS PER KILOMETER DRIVEN) Fuel efficiency achieved by winner of 2011 SAE SUPERMILEAGE CONTEST for experimental high-efficiency vehicles: LOOA PRUS S&MPG PROJECT INFINITY 2,158 MPG Copyright © 2011 Discovery Communications, LLC Sources: International Energy Agency, Yvkoff, Simburger, Independent, Science Channel, Krisher, Kanellos, Velona, Schoof, AAAT.com, CNN, U.S. Department of Energy