The future of Cars

[boomerang]

Future cars will be powered by whatever rich folks decide they can get richer on.

 

[z1ggy]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: EGGO
We'll do something to highway roads so that as an electric car drives, it'll keep recharging as we drive.

Nah. It would cost too much. Much easier to just develop better battery technology, or just live with shorter distance travels.

What would be nice is a like, 10 minute recharge device. So you would pull up to the fuel station, plug in with some wires that are thicker than your wrist, and wait while you charge.

That's much more feasible than rails, tracks or electromagnetic coupling along the highways.

So how much do you think something like this may cost? Is it going to be something you have to do often? (everyday?) or maybe 1 to 2 times a week like a regular gas fill up. Also with the new motors.. will we be seeing more things like motors in the wheels themselves? Like.. 4 wheels..each with 50hp motor x 4 wheels = 200hp vehicle?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I hope car sensors + GPS get enhanced to a point where my car could practically drive me to my destination while I chill out and read a book.

I think the only way that could happen is with EGGO's idea of rails or the like in the roads. Completely computer controlled... Could potentially eliminate traffic jams, and such. The monetary savings from that alone could prompt it in some areas, I would imagine.. Hmm...

Maybe it's not such a bad idea after all. Like I said, it would just be expensive... I bet something like that would cost 100x what we've already spent on the highway system...

It could be pretty cool though. Would bring a whole new meaning to "off roading". If it virtually ended car accidents and traffic jams, I would be for it.

:thumbsup:

 

[FlashG]

2200 forbidden volt

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: EGGO
We'll do something to highway roads so that as an electric car drives, it'll keep recharging as we drive.

Nah. It would cost too much. Much easier to just develop better battery technology, or just live with shorter distance travels.

What would be nice is a like, 10 minute recharge device. So you would pull up to the fuel station, plug in with some wires that are thicker than your wrist, and wait while you charge.

That's much more feasible than rails, tracks or electromagnetic coupling along the highways.

I read something how they are developing a battery that recharges very fast like that

 

[Chadder007]

I can just imagine in 10 years people plugging in their cars complaining about how Electricity has spiked in costs.

 

[IronWing]

Nothing. When the oil runs out, we die.

 

[OogyWaWa]

i'll never drive it unless it is fast and makes loud noises.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I hope car sensors + GPS get enhanced to a point where my car could practically drive me to my destination while I chill out and read a book.

They have this...it's called the bus :laugh:.

Seriously though, it will be electric, and it will be powered by solar energy. Battery technology will improve, as will solar panel efficiency. Solar energy is the only renewable source that contains enough energy to even come close to meeting the demand. Wind, tidal and biomass are small-scale at best, and a full conversion to nuclear power would deplete the Earth's uranium supply in just 20 years.

The problem though, is that there are too many vehicles on the road so the electricity demands will be too high, and too expensive if we continue our current usage patterns.

I forsee a paradigm shift driven by high electricity costs. Electric vehicles will exist, but more people will use them as car-sharing rather than owning one. Carpooling will increase, as will the use of electric buses and trains.

 

[Sea Moose]

Originally posted by: ironwing
Nothing. When the oil runs out, we die.

This is probably the truth. Nations will have a big war for resources.

The answer is nuclear power/ renewable sources.

Nuclear is the best supply, as it has no greenhouse effect or global warming potential. The only downside is the waste. Solar panels should be used as a building material, ie all roofs should be solar panels. They need to improve mass production.

Hydrogen would be good, but we need to improve storage methods.

As for cars, i think we should be using biodiesel. Made from grown crops. Downside though is land used for growing food would be used for growing fuel, and food costs would go up

 

[Colt45]

walking, a lot of death

outback tinkerers will rock steam or booze powered stuffs

 

[OverVolt]

Originally posted by: Sea Moose

Originally posted by: ironwing
Nothing. When the oil runs out, we die.

This is probably the truth. Nations will have a big war for resources.

The answer is nuclear power/ renewable sources.

Nuclear is the best supply, as it has no greenhouse effect or global warming potential. The only downside is the waste. Solar panels should be used as a building material, ie all roofs should be solar panels. They need to improve mass production.

Hydrogen would be good, but we need to improve storage methods.

As for cars, i think we should be using biodiesel. Made from grown crops. Downside though is land used for growing food would be used for growing fuel, and food costs would go up

There is only enough high-grade nuclear fuel for fission to last 10-15 years AFAIK. Not only that but when you factor in mining the ore once we are out of the easy to mine stuff, it's hard to get energy back out of even nuclear IMO. Powering a car with batteries is one thing, but what about the mining equipment? How are you going to move ~1,000kg of ore to get 1gram of uranium?

Biodiesel is also unacceptable. We will barely be able to farm enough food to eat without oil, let alone enough extra to put into cars. Without oil we have no pesticides, herbicides, farm equipment, nor ability to transport the goods from a centralized location. How do you propose we somehow, despite all those disadvantages, we grow MORE food than we grow now, so much so that we can power our cars with it?

IMO, we truly are screwed. The only way to do things without oil is the way things were done in the 1800's. Water wheel power, animal power. I'm really not kidding. There really isn't any way to solve the problem. Water power and hydroelectric power is probably the only viable solution. It would of course be far too expensive for the average person to use. People in the 1800's and earlier weren't just stupid, we didn't suddenly get smarter in a couple generations. We just have energy from burning oil, thats the only difference. When it's gone, it'll just be gone.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
Gas, and it will continue to be gas. Only the gas will come from bacteria that secretes oil. It will have a zero carbon footprint because they will suck as much carbon out of the air as is put back in from burning it. Electricity will be nice for city dwellers, however electric cars are really not practical for the USA. We just don't have the battery technology that supports it yet.[/q]

So you just contradicted yourself.

 

[Sea Moose]

Originally posted by: OverVolt

Originally posted by: Sea Moose

Originally posted by: ironwing
Nothing. When the oil runs out, we die.

This is probably the truth. Nations will have a big war for resources.

The answer is nuclear power/ renewable sources.

Nuclear is the best supply, as it has no greenhouse effect or global warming potential. The only downside is the waste. Solar panels should be used as a building material, ie all roofs should be solar panels. They need to improve mass production.

Hydrogen would be good, but we need to improve storage methods.

As for cars, i think we should be using biodiesel. Made from grown crops. Downside though is land used for growing food would be used for growing fuel, and food costs would go up

There is only enough high-grade nuclear fuel for fission to last 10-15 years AFAIK. Not only that but when you factor in mining the ore once we are out of the easy to mine stuff, it's hard to get energy back out of even nuclear IMO. Powering a car with batteries is one thing, but what about the mining equipment? How are you going to move ~1,000kg of ore to get 1gram of uranium? What?

Biodiesel is also unacceptable. We will barely be able to farm enough food to eat without oil, let alone enough extra to put into cars. <-- I did say this Without oil we have no pesticides, herbicides, farm equipment, nor ability to transport the goods from a centralized location. How do you propose we somehow, despite all those disadvantages, we grow MORE food than we grow now, so much so that we can power our cars with it? <-- My old man powers his ute with used chip oil

IMO, we truly are screwed. <-- I said this The only way to do things without oil is the way things were done in the 1800's. Water wheel power, animal power. I'm really not kidding. There really isn't any way to solve the problem. Water power and hydroelectric power is probably the only viable solution. It would of course be far too expensive for the average person to use. <-- The only good thing you said, was about water power, its true that we could harness tidal flow to power generators

I am not a fucking scientist partard. I was merely making a couple of suggestions. Did you actually add anything to the conversation? Edit: you made a good point about water power

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Electric...once we get better ways to generate cheap electricity. Imagine the cost savings just from not having to transport oil across the world. Transporting electricity is so much cheaper, even with the upgrades we'd have to put into the grid.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Algae.

 

[chitwood]

we'll use our own farts

 

[Sea Moose]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Algae.

Agae? <--- like ones that produce gas or somthing?

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: z1ggy
I was just thinking today during work on some free time and I notice the rising gas prices again. I really think sooner than laetr we need to become dependent of oil for our vehicles. What do you guys think the next step would be? Batery? Hydrogen cells? More oil? Personally I think the best route might be solar energy. With batery, its a great idea, but wouldnt you always have to charge your car in a 120/240 socket everyday? Electric bills will be skyrocketing. What if a huge storm hits and the fuses all blow on the lines and power is out for a few days..a few weeks? I feel like maybe solar energy will be the best alternative with a possible battery/gasoline hybrid incase of no sunlight for extended periods of time. Thoughts?

I thought this is what the last few years have been about? You aren't the only one, thinking about it

 

[JTsyo]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: EGGO
We'll do something to highway roads so that as an electric car drives, it'll keep recharging as we drive.

Nah. It would cost too much. Much easier to just develop better battery technology, or just live with shorter distance travels.

What would be nice is a like, 10 minute recharge device. So you would pull up to the fuel station, plug in with some wires that are thicker than your wrist, and wait while you charge.

That's much more feasible than rails, tracks or electromagnetic coupling along the highways.

Tesla was working on wireless power transmission.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Originally posted by: JTsyo

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: EGGO
We'll do something to highway roads so that as an electric car drives, it'll keep recharging as we drive.

Nah. It would cost too much. Much easier to just develop better battery technology, or just live with shorter distance travels.

What would be nice is a like, 10 minute recharge device. So you would pull up to the fuel station, plug in with some wires that are thicker than your wrist, and wait while you charge.

That's much more feasible than rails, tracks or electromagnetic coupling along the highways.

Tesla was working on wireless power transmission.

He was also working on a death ray that "... will bring down a fleet of 10,000 enemy airplanes at a distance of 200 miles from a defending nation's border and will cause armies to drop dead in their tracks."

 

[Squisher]

Like others have said, it'll go to 100% battery power eventually. The way to generate all that power will be the question. We'll probably use everything available.

 

[TehMac]

Steam cars would be cool. They certainly have existed before, its just they were so complicated, they couldn't really be managed by your average consumer.

However, the computers we have nowadays could be used to regulate steam pressure, and the engines using this stuff would be at absolute torque 100% of the time!


That said, I think Hydrogen powered electric cars are where we're going.

 

[SagaLore]

I hope its hybrid/ethanol.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: NiKeFiDO
we could circle the sun with solar panels. if we need more energy, we just increase the radius of the circle of solar panels to fit in more panels.

/thread

How is that /thread? How do you transfer the energy from those panels to Earth?