A Road Less Travelled?

As the summer driving season winds down come this Labor Day, there is no time like the present to reflect how the trend towards ever higher gas prices is taking a major toll on American driving habits.  If oil prices continue to skyrocket (Crude is at $116/barrel as of this writing, down from a high of over $147 on July 11, 2008), it may lead over the next few years, to what economist Jeff Rubin of CIBC World Markets terms “the greatest mass exodus of vehicles off America’s highways in history.”  How might this possibility affect the environment and the design of the cars of the future?  For some, it might lead to taking public transportation more often or purchasing a fuel efficient car, as fuel expenses reach 20% of income, but there is real concern that unlike many Europeans who have adjusted over time to high energy costs thanks to forward-thinking leadership, it will be very challenging for Americans to do the same before a widespread clean technology infrastructure is in place. However, with the help of big thinkers like Amory Lovins, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, options such as the Hypercar, made with an ultra-light and highly rigid structure, and capable of three to five times greater fuel efficiency than the cars of today, we will work our way out of this challenge.  Even though the Hypercar may be at least a few years off due to cost of carbon fiber manufacturing, leaders like Shai Agassi, founder of Better Place, may soon fill the void of fuel efficiency with his bold plan to provide affordable electric vehicles around the world, in the near future.

Hypercar

Watch interview with Amory Lovins discussing Hypercar technology on bigpicture.tv

Better Place

The Speed of Sustainability: Milan

Although I was not entirely impressed by the sustainability, greenergy design, and ecomade exhibitions at the Milan Furniture fair, I must say that the city does have a few things in order. Their public transportation is fantastic.  They have a subway spread out across the entire city, and if they dont run close enough to home there are also busses and trams that run frequently all over the streets. In addition to public transit, those who do drive love their small cars. Although in most cases its an economical decision, they still see no need for the excessive Hummer-style consumerism.  It is rare to see a luxery sedan let alone a SUV!

One of the most exciting things I stumbled upon was an installation of a glorified MiniCooper. It was placed inside a chamber of woven plastic cords with serene music playing and was guarded by some very friendly cops. We had to pose and take some photos.



The other car that they love is the Smart Car. Now, I may sound silly because I haven’t been to Europe since the release of the Smart Car, but they are everywhere! I think it is wonderful. People of all shapes and sizes fit into these little things to transport themselves and a partner across town. “Why use more when this is all we need?” said one driver to me.



Finally this is a photo of a favorite of mine- a new little Fiat. Que Bella (the car, not me of course)!

The 1963 P50 Microvehicle From Great Britain

In 1962, before green was the buzzword of the world, the Manx Peel Engineering Company out of the UK developed a “microvehicle” with 3 wheels designed for one person (and maybe a shopping bag). 53 inches long and 39 inches wide, the car weighed just under 139 pounds. Not equipped with a reverse gear (or any other “luxury features”), the little car got around 100 miles per gallon and had a top speed of about 38 miles per hour. With a sticker price of only £198 the car was very inexpensive. 20 P50’s are still alive and running under the tender care of collectors and the car is considered street legal even today in Great Britian. The car currently holds the record for the smallest-ever automobile to go into mass production. This witty video from TopGear tells it all.

Why Aren’t We All Driving Electric?

Imagine if we drove electric cars. Richard from Olympia, Washington did. He converted his 1975 VW Bug to electric. It goes up to 65 miles and hour and gets 40 miles to the charge. A blatant commentary on the pressing need for consumer electric vehicles. To listen to Tom Hanks talking about his electric car click here…

Prius Ad Campaign

There have been some interesting ads on TV, marketing the famous gas/electric icon across the US. We applaud Toyota on their marketing campaign but we’re now dreaming of seeing a fully electric version on the road. With their other product lines, Toyota has been working to bring local manufacturing to the United States. They recently partnered with Subaru to produce the Camry at their established Indiana plant.