Time to brake the automotive mold
Or can the mold be broken?
“‘Growing out of oil’ will not be possible relying on a single technological solution. It requires a new concept of mobility, supported by a cluster of new technologies as well as more sustainable behaviour,” concludes the European Union’s Transport 2050 road map to the future of transportation.
While Tranport 2050 doesn’t call the auto ‘evil’, it does claim that personal transportation is today unsustainable, and even moving to only hybrids and plug-ins won’t be enough – at least in Europe.
Obviously, hybrid cars and plug-in vehicles are an improvement. Nevertheless, why does the average solo commuter need a car that can transport 4 or 5 people, for instance, if 90 percent of their commuting only requires room for 1? Not only would a much smaller and lighter vehicle save massive amounts of fuel and significantly reduce emissions, it would also be much cheaper and utilize far less resources.
Today’s automotive mold is simply inefficient by design, whether gasoline or battery-powered.
Of course, some people have families and many other reasons for greater passenger room, but not everyone. That leaves open the door for choices. Fortunately, new technologies could make the smallest and lightest cars as safe as the largest, while also enabling new transport options that make single-seat commuter vehicles viable even for those with families, such as car sharing and auto-drive.
But how fast will consumers, governments and the auto industry embrace these new ideas?
Sadly, the EU is building a roadmap for 2050 – forty years from now. The US doesn’t even have a real comprehensive plan to end foreign oil dependence, for comparison. Even those focused on this issue often seem to act as if there will be a silver bullet that instantly resolves all problems when the facts seem to suggest such an obsession is madness.
To be sure, the car doesn’t have to be evil, but if we don’t break the mold soon, evil probably will become an apt description.