Often when I sit in traffic looking at massive Escalades, Land Cruisers and the like I wonder if there are car designers thinking towards the future. Are there designers focusing on what we WILL need instead of what we want right now? When we head off to our dream vacation in the future what will take the place of the Griswald Family Truckster?

In my mind I keep seeing George Jetson’s flying car, but then, I’m predisposed to outlandish thinking.  Or IS it? I decided to get a little education on this, starting with the premise of: What will we really need?  In my mind, the world of climate change and rising oil and gas prices will necessitate the need for low emission, high MPV vehicles – with some creative fuel sources. 

While there is no end to the discussion on “future” cars, here are some of the most interesting and viable options either in prototype or production phases. Each has drawbacks such as availability of fuel outlets and servicing, all of which leads to consumer uncertainty and willingness to commit.  With vision and legislation there is a solid chance we could see versions of these on our roads in the future:

The Right Here, Right Now!

Ethanol: Most of us have heard of this fuel made from corn, and in fact it is already mixed with most gasoline we use at the pumps.  It’s a benefit for the environment, producing less harmful carbon emissions. The bonus? This means better fuel economy! Suzuki Motor Cars already has a version selling in Brazil powered entirely on pure Ethanol, and we can expect to see version in the US soon, or cars using derivatives from other bio-fuels.

Electric: A favorite of early adopters, many of these cars, like the Toyota Prius use a combination of electric battery and gas engine. The electric engine uses its own power to slow down/brake and then store the energy created from that function for future power when alternating with gasoline power. Today’s models can get between 50 and 70 mpg depending on conditions, and boast up to 134hp with considerably less emissions than gas only vehicles. High-end companies such as Tesla motors offer purely electric powered Roadster. With lithium ion cells offering, an electric powertrain with regenerative braking it garners a whopping 258hp and a range of 245 miles with zero emissions. Simply plug it in at night (when electric rates can be cheaper) via a 110 or 220v outlet and you are off.  You can see one of these future cars in person at the Gateway Auto Museum… a must stop during your Discovery Retreat.

Vegetable Oil:  Here’s one dream that is a reality. Volkswagens running on bio diesel have started to hit the streets in California and Hawaii.  Think of oil converted from the dregs of oil used at your local restaurant. These cars use a blend of biodiesel and regular diesel; they generally have 30% more horsepower, better fuel economy/carbon emissions, and 20% less hydrocarbon emissions. 

The Cautious Optimism Project:

Hydrogen Powered cars/fuel cells:  I can help but think of the Hindenburg, but we’ve come a long way. Did you know that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe?  I didn’t, but now I see why there has always been interest in harnessing its power.  Right now Mercedes has come up with the F600 Hygenius that runs on a compressed hydrogen cell. At 110hp and a range of 250 miles. It claims to produce so much power you can use its 240V plug to power your household grid. Honda has a model already catching the interest of government agencies with its range of 200 miles; Toyota has the Fine-S, a combination of hydrogen fuel cell and electric technology built on its successful Prius release. In the OMG category, BMW has put forward the H2, said to reach speeds of 185mph with its 6 cylinder/12 liter combustion engine. While these cars may be a few years off with work needed on protection of the fuel cells, many cities around the world use hydrogen fuel cell powered buses!

The Makes You Think Category:

Compressed Air: Reports show that Indian auto manufacturer Tata has inked a deal with French company MDI to produce a snappy little car that runs on compressed air. Little is said about exactly how this would work aside from running an external air compressor, and using a few drops of the regular old petroleum to run internal functions such as air, etc. This makes the car virtually pollution free. The car is made from ultra-light materials, which makes sense if powered on nothing but air and is expected to be very low cost. Air IS still free right?

Water Powered:  Much debate swirls about the potential here. Reuters and other sources reported a car company in Japan that boasted the first water powered vehicle, but skeptics (including myself) tried the link to the companies website and found a disturbing nothiness. The idea behind water powered vehicles centers on extracting the hydrogen molecules from water to power an electric cell.  A little more investigation shows that there ARE kits you can buy or make which use your current engine’s electricity to hydrolize water stored in tanks into a gas mix of hydrogen and oxygen. This mixture is then injected into your car’s manifold and mixes with your gasoline to extend its volume. Though technically turning your car into a hybrid, and therefore still emitting pollution, some reports talk about increased engine economy from 15 to a whopping 300 percent. I’ll give that a shot, but as for the purely water powered car… we are still waiting.

I love the other unspoken trends that come with these cars.  Smaller, composite materials and renewable resources. These are encouraging signs of things to come, even if five years down the road.  In the meantime I will dream of my Jetson’s car and perhaps that Tesla Roadster…