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