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37. Driving Innovation: The Future of the Car
6 months ago
A high-powered panel discusses the future of the car and their efforts to raise the auto industry from crisis to new heights.
The panel discusses the prospects for hydrogen-powered cars, our carbon consumption trend, the state of the art in battery technology and electric cars, the cost of the electric kilometer, the economics of clean fuel and clean cars and the regulatory environment that shapes our pursuit of environmental goals.
Listen in as thought leaders share their ideas and insights on where cars are headed.
MaRS - Building Canada’s next generation of global technology companies. marsdd.com
The panel discusses the prospects for hydrogen-powered cars, our carbon consumption trend, the state of the art in battery technology and electric cars, the cost of the electric kilometer, the economics of clean fuel and clean cars and the regulatory environment that shapes our pursuit of environmental goals.
Listen in as thought leaders share their ideas and insights on where cars are headed.
MaRS - Building Canada’s next generation of global technology companies. marsdd.com
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The issue is transporting goods from point A to B. That is not necessarily an energy problem. The energy sector has an energy problem; not the auto sector.
Even if 100% of the cars on the road are electric, that just means 100% of the energy load is transferred to the grid which runs on coal, nuclear, and hydro. That is why reducing the amount of work a car needs to do, such as reducing the weight, could reduce the overall net energy load.
There are other engineering/design questions to ask before jumping on this energy bandwagon. For instance, are there metals that become rigid when a electric current is applied? If so, could we just apply that current when the force of impact exceed a certain threshold? And if so, what is its status in term of commercialisation?
Design could solve the problem too. The Romans designed the arch bridge to be lightweight, yet offer the required structural support with minimal material. They did it by understanding the distribution of force and placement of bricks. Its bridges still stand 2000 years later. "Old" tech could be very reliable.
There are also simple fundamental things one could do. For instance, painting house roof white could reduce room temperature by 20-25C in the summer. A study in Texas showed 11% drop in energy consumption, 14% drop in peak hour demand, and save $7,200/year ($0.07/sq-ft). Does this create jobs? Probably not enough. Is it effective? Certainly on a cost-benefit basis. Just "KISS" it.
Another point against electric cars is the price; it's a disconnect with market forces until there is a price on carbon. Tata Motor in India is rolling out its $2,500 USD car this year; forget electric cars as the game changers. You may have heard the one-laptop-per-child movement. In the next 10 years, we may see an one-car-per-teen movement. You read it here first.
Is this the only future of cars? Here's another future from the world of redesign:
youtube.com/watch?v=6v4YNkurhLk