Future of the car

The future of the car is a controversial topic, with some advocates arguing that the car has no future, and others that the car will in the future supplant most other forms of transport.

There are significant challenges in the near future to continued use of the car:

• Car use is a significant factor in pollution, and contributes to global warming.
• Increasing population and prosperity are increasing congestion.
• Reserves of fossil fuels, particularly oil, are finite.

Technological Advances

There are many possible advances in technology that could influence the future of the car:

• The smart car and driverless car making driving easier and safer.
• Cars linking up to form platoons.
• Cars platooning on guideways[?] for increased speed, safety and economy.
• Dual-mode cars able to use relatively small electric motors and fuel supplies or battery reserves for door-to-door service off electrically powered arterials.
• Cars may be able to use low carbon fuels such as hydrogen, fuel cells, and electricity instead of the internal combustion engine. (see hydrogen car, electric car[?])
• Magnetic levitation or maglev guideways with off-line stations for on-demand, independent travel is an attractive but distant goal.
• The flying car, such as the Moller Skycar

External links

• To read more details about US policy on automotive R&D, and the basis for the expected advances above, please see http://discussit.org/transporation/prognosis.
• Intelligent Transportation Systems website. (http://faculty.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/)