Vehicles in the future will be lighter, able to drive themselves, and run longer on a single battery charge, based on models in the spotlight at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The innovations show an auto industry in energy flux. With electric cars that can travel 200 miles between charges, trucks made of lighter material that boost fuel efficiency, and advances in self-driving vehicles, the picture of road travel on display suggests a world of ever decreasing fuel use even as U.S. gasoline prices hit six-year lows.
Here’s a look at key innovations and introductions at the Detroit Auto Show that could shape the energy needs and environmental impact of cars in the future.
1. Nips and tucks for greater fuel efficiency and more practical plug-ins. Sometimes, even at an event marked by glitz and fantasy, it’s what’s inside that counts. That’s the case with Ford’s EcoBoost engine technology, an efficiency-minded combination of turbocharging and fuel injection that the company says will be available in every new Ford car and truck sold in North America this year.
General Motors, meanwhile, has shaved 200 pounds off the curb weight of its Chevy Volt, helping the latest version of this plug-in hybrid vehicle go 30 percent, or 50 miles, farther on a single battery charge before its small gas engine kicks in.
2. Electric Vehicles: Lower prices, longer range. In unveiling the Bolt, General Motors envisions a fully electric vehicle capable of traveling 200 miles between charges, compared with fewer than a hundred miles for most plug-in cars on the road today. Industry watchers say Bolt’s relatively low price will create serious competition for Tesla in the race to produce a practical and affordable EV for mainstream car buyers.
3. Aluminum’s big test. So long steel, hello aluminum—at least in the best-selling F-150 pickup truck. Ford swapped out steel for aluminum in the body of its latest F-150, helping to cut about 700 pounds and enable an estimated 26 miles to the gallon—while adding cost and potentially challenging ideas of toughness.
4. Moving toward self-driving cars. Fully autonomous vehicles, which hold the promise of reducing accidents and boosting fuel efficiency, remain years away from mainstream availability. Still, car companies in Detroit are sharing their latest visions for that technology.
5. Fuel cells press on. Fuel cell vehicles (FCV) are not yet taking over roadways, but automakers continue to nudge the technology toward pragmatism.
Honda unveiled its latest fuel cell concept, a five-seat model that can refuel in three minutes when hydrogen is dispensed at the pressure typical for still hard-to-find filling stations and can travel up to 300 miles, compared with about 240 miles for Honda’s previous fuel cell model. The company plans to begin selling the car in Japan next year.
To see the original article go to National Geographic.
