U.S. Car Market: All Hybrids All The Time By 2020?
The IBM Institute for Business Value polled some 125 automotive executives and "thought leaders." Their final report [via Green Car Congress] concludes that "sustainability concerns" will rule the industry's future. In fact, by 2020, they figure all new cars will incorporate some form of hybridization. Respondents were less bullish on hydrogen, daunted by "the added challenge of building an entirely new infrastructure." The study also predicts the rise of the two-car consumer, diving "a primary vehicle that best meets their daily needs… [with] the option to change to a different model, as needed." Telematics (e.g. remote vehicle prognostics and active safety), data downloads and streaming media; and powertrain innovations are all in the cards. The report tells industry types to embrace new mobility models, improve the retail experience, simplify complexity, build international partnerships and execute globally. Wow, huh. Meanwhile, I'm heading over to Tomorrowland to see yesterday's future today.
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Honda offers an in-home natural gas hook-up and is developing the same for hydrogen. I know it sounds goofy, but check it out: Honda Home Energy Station
Correct me if I'm totally off track here, but to me, it's not "sustainable" if it uses gasoline. Yes, even if you discount the oil and coal required to manufacture something made of metal, plastic, and rubber, and somehow make the case in your own mind that that's a "one-time" cost. It's not "sustainable" if you have to keep adding petroleum to it, right?
ZoomZoom: Well, if worldwide oil use went down dramatically, the existing supply would last much longer, basically becoming "sustainable" in some sense (there will almost certainly always be oil, but how much and at what price is determined by what we're doing with it). It's not renewable, and long term it's certainly not sustainable. But the general goal is to move toward more sustainable things, as it's rather impractical for us all to start walking and biking. It's all baby steps for energy-intensive, high population modern society to move from extractive thinking to sustainable thinking. I tend to agree with this forecast. BMW has hybridized their 1 series, and MINI as well in Europe. The technology for mild hybrids has gotten good enough that it will probably become standard sometime in the next decade, as long as fuel prices remain high.
Gas, Gas, Gas! Drill more and drill often. Until they figure a way to produce a 400 HP hybrid with a ton of torque they can keep it. America is run on diesel..period. $8.00 a gallon, yeah, just pay it and work more over time...