The car of the future?

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This video of a GM prototype is very interesting. Are you ready for a car like this?

Published by Robert Scoble

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57 thoughts on “The car of the future?”

  1. Holy cow, great find, and what a great bit of publicity for GM. I bet that is watched more that the latest “bold moves” episode 🙂

    Karl

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  2. Holy cow, great find, and what a great bit of publicity for GM. I bet that is watched more that the latest “bold moves” episode 🙂

    Karl

    Like

  7. Old or new it doesn’t matter it’s going to revolutionize our need for oil…and we need that now. 10-20 years seems so far away.

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  9. Timing of appearance of this information is curious given the juxtaposition with this movie:

    Who killed the electric car?

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489037/trailers-screenplay-E27417-10-2

    Both these cars could I suppose change the economics of oil but will not reduce the need for massive amounts of energy/fuel of some kind (something has to produce the electricity or the hydrogen necessary to run these cars and there would still be a logistics problem getting the hydrogen or electricity from where it is produce to where the people and cars are).

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  10. Timing of appearance of this information is curious given the juxtaposition with this movie:

    Who killed the electric car?

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489037/trailers-screenplay-E27417-10-2

    Both these cars could I suppose change the economics of oil but will not reduce the need for massive amounts of energy/fuel of some kind (something has to produce the electricity or the hydrogen necessary to run these cars and there would still be a logistics problem getting the hydrogen or electricity from where it is produce to where the people and cars are).

    Like

  11. Car of the future, but gosh, still old old news by now. Keep up with da Breaking News. 😉

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  12. Car of the future, but gosh, still old old news by now. Keep up with da Breaking News. 😉

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  13. That’s what I was going to say, Brian. From the stats I’ve read, the hybrids aren’t as economical as, let’s say a Toyota Yaris, or any small super mini.

    Jeremy Clarkson and the lads from Top Gear kick ass!

    It’s the best car show on TV. Anywhere! And I’m not even in the UK, I’m in Canada. In Quebec of all places!

    No, seriously, if you like cars, you’ll love Top Gear, the interaction between the hosts is pretty funny.

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  14. That’s what I was going to say, Brian. From the stats I’ve read, the hybrids aren’t as economical as, let’s say a Toyota Yaris, or any small super mini.

    Jeremy Clarkson and the lads from Top Gear kick ass!

    It’s the best car show on TV. Anywhere! And I’m not even in the UK, I’m in Canada. In Quebec of all places!

    No, seriously, if you like cars, you’ll love Top Gear, the interaction between the hosts is pretty funny.

    Like

  17. It’s funny, only on thursday I was in a car with three american guys and we were talking cars. The conversation turned to top gear, and I didn’t even know you guys have it out here in the US. It seems as though it is as big a phenomenon out here as it is in the UK. No one else seems to be able to do as good a job as Clarkson and Richard “The Hampster”! Hammond.

    The conversation of hydrogen fuel cell cars came up and comments such as what happens in an accident? Wouldn’t it cause a massive explosion? Oh look they would have to replace sections of road where the accident took place… nice one 😉 And things like that… but that is not to say that we do definately need an alternative to petrol and diesel. The sooner the better if you ask me!

    BTW are you going to Comic Con 😉

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  18. It’s funny, only on thursday I was in a car with three american guys and we were talking cars. The conversation turned to top gear, and I didn’t even know you guys have it out here in the US. It seems as though it is as big a phenomenon out here as it is in the UK. No one else seems to be able to do as good a job as Clarkson and Richard “The Hampster”! Hammond.

    The conversation of hydrogen fuel cell cars came up and comments such as what happens in an accident? Wouldn’t it cause a massive explosion? Oh look they would have to replace sections of road where the accident took place… nice one 😉 And things like that… but that is not to say that we do definately need an alternative to petrol and diesel. The sooner the better if you ask me!

    BTW are you going to Comic Con 😉

    Like

  19. “Sort of like driving a patio” That winshield would be great for recording video when traveling 🙂

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  20. “Sort of like driving a patio” That winshield would be great for recording video when traveling 🙂

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  23. Almost all the technology that is/was showcased in that concept is available on cars of today.
    For e.g the drive by wire for throttle, transmission and brakes.

    I’ve not seen its drive technology from the motors on the 4 wheels anywhere else. I believe the same motors can be used to charge the batteries during braking, downhill, etc.

    More info here:
    http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hy-wire3.htm

    and this was showcased in the 2002 september edition of Automotive Engineering. http://www.sae.org/automag/globalvehicles/09-2002/

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  24. Almost all the technology that is/was showcased in that concept is available on cars of today.
    For e.g the drive by wire for throttle, transmission and brakes.

    I’ve not seen its drive technology from the motors on the 4 wheels anywhere else. I believe the same motors can be used to charge the batteries during braking, downhill, etc.

    More info here:
    http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hy-wire3.htm

    and this was showcased in the 2002 september edition of Automotive Engineering. http://www.sae.org/automag/globalvehicles/09-2002/

    Like

  25. For e.g the drive by wire for throttle, transmission and brakes is available on the prius. Not to mention that this technology came from aeroplanes 🙂

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  26. For e.g the drive by wire for throttle, transmission and brakes is available on the prius. Not to mention that this technology came from aeroplanes 🙂

    Like

  29. When I was a child, the forecast was for little microcars running on electricity by 2000. What did we get? The Hummer. I remain a sceptic, not because the demand isn’t there, but because car companies like GM tend to drag their heels because of the capital investment already made in existing infrastructure.

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  30. When I was a child, the forecast was for little microcars running on electricity by 2000. What did we get? The Hummer. I remain a sceptic, not because the demand isn’t there, but because car companies like GM tend to drag their heels because of the capital investment already made in existing infrastructure.

    Like

  31. I think the way to go is biodiesel. However, I’m not sure about how green it is. I’ve heard reports that it is pretty green.

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  32. I think the way to go is biodiesel. However, I’m not sure about how green it is. I’ve heard reports that it is pretty green.

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  40. Sarah :

    Hyrdogen disperses very quickly. It’s dangerous to transport in bulk, but the average car will have less energy in hydrogen than it would in a gasoline version (due to much higher efficiency of chemical energy to mechanical conversion). They’re not insanely safe – being in the gas plume from a puncture of the tank would be bad – but they’re not going to turn into craters randomly.

    Range :

    Biodiesel is really nasty for the environment. To give an example, Brazil runs at one third biodiesel, and to sustain that, chomps down acres of rainforest so fast that they’ll be out by 2060. It tends to burn no more efficiently – and thus produces pollutants at the same rate as or more than – gasoline and diesel.
    Growing the fuel ourselves would be significantly ugly as well. Remember, a lot of the fertilizer the United States and most of Europe uses is based on oil products.

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  41. Sarah :

    Hyrdogen disperses very quickly. It’s dangerous to transport in bulk, but the average car will have less energy in hydrogen than it would in a gasoline version (due to much higher efficiency of chemical energy to mechanical conversion). They’re not insanely safe – being in the gas plume from a puncture of the tank would be bad – but they’re not going to turn into craters randomly.

    Range :

    Biodiesel is really nasty for the environment. To give an example, Brazil runs at one third biodiesel, and to sustain that, chomps down acres of rainforest so fast that they’ll be out by 2060. It tends to burn no more efficiently – and thus produces pollutants at the same rate as or more than – gasoline and diesel.
    Growing the fuel ourselves would be significantly ugly as well. Remember, a lot of the fertilizer the United States and most of Europe uses is based on oil products.

    Like

  42. Oh sure, the future is hydrogen. I read some guy’s theory somewhere about hydrogen. He basically says there’s a natural progression of fuels, so that, over time, mankind burns fuels with less and less carbon:

    Wood (10:1 carbon to hydrogen)
    Coal (2:1 carbon to hydrogen)
    Oil (1:2 carbon to hydrogen)

    I think the guy who came up with this is Jesse Ausubel:

    http://phe.rockefeller.edu/AustinDecarbonization/

    The prediction is that we move next to methane/CNG/LNG (1:4 carbon to hydrogen) and then, inevitably, to just hydrogen (0 carbon). I don’t know if that’s true, but a lot of buses around here now run on natural gas instead of diesel. And none of them did when I was a kid.

    This has interesting implications for Russia, as they have massive natural gas reserves. GM makes those transit buses that run on CNG. So where is the CNG Hummer? Why is this not on the radar? Interesting question. Maybe we don’t want to turn Russia into the next Saudia Arabia? (Note to self: Write sequel to Syriana…)

    The future is also very probably drive-by-wire, too. That change is happening slowly, but if you look, it’s happening: cruise control, antilock brakes, traction control, electronic throttle controls. We’re starting to see cars that can apply their own brakes, cars that can park themselves. The day will come when a direct, mechanical linkage will be considered quaint.

    I think the question is not whether we are ready for a car like that, but whether GM is ready for a car like that.

    The Hy-Wire is the fantasy GM wants to sell you to convince you that they’re still relevant. It’s so much marketing. “See how wonderful it’s gonna be someday?”

    The reality is that GM is cranking out Chevy Tahoes & Suburbans, Lincoln Navigators, Cadillac Escalades, and GMC Yukons. And, um, Hummers.

    I think this is a sign GM will be a victim of the “Innovator’s Dilemma.” You’ll drive a car like the Hy-Wire some day. But it will be made by some other company.

    Like

  43. Oh sure, the future is hydrogen. I read some guy’s theory somewhere about hydrogen. He basically says there’s a natural progression of fuels, so that, over time, mankind burns fuels with less and less carbon:

    Wood (10:1 carbon to hydrogen)
    Coal (2:1 carbon to hydrogen)
    Oil (1:2 carbon to hydrogen)

    I think the guy who came up with this is Jesse Ausubel:

    http://phe.rockefeller.edu/AustinDecarbonization/

    The prediction is that we move next to methane/CNG/LNG (1:4 carbon to hydrogen) and then, inevitably, to just hydrogen (0 carbon). I don’t know if that’s true, but a lot of buses around here now run on natural gas instead of diesel. And none of them did when I was a kid.

    This has interesting implications for Russia, as they have massive natural gas reserves. GM makes those transit buses that run on CNG. So where is the CNG Hummer? Why is this not on the radar? Interesting question. Maybe we don’t want to turn Russia into the next Saudia Arabia? (Note to self: Write sequel to Syriana…)

    The future is also very probably drive-by-wire, too. That change is happening slowly, but if you look, it’s happening: cruise control, antilock brakes, traction control, electronic throttle controls. We’re starting to see cars that can apply their own brakes, cars that can park themselves. The day will come when a direct, mechanical linkage will be considered quaint.

    I think the question is not whether we are ready for a car like that, but whether GM is ready for a car like that.

    The Hy-Wire is the fantasy GM wants to sell you to convince you that they’re still relevant. It’s so much marketing. “See how wonderful it’s gonna be someday?”

    The reality is that GM is cranking out Chevy Tahoes & Suburbans, Lincoln Navigators, Cadillac Escalades, and GMC Yukons. And, um, Hummers.

    I think this is a sign GM will be a victim of the “Innovator’s Dilemma.” You’ll drive a car like the Hy-Wire some day. But it will be made by some other company.

    Like

  50. Great comment, Karim. Yep, it may be Toyota bringing us that Hy-Wire car, as GM struggles to make changes to its existing plants.

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  51. Great comment, Karim. Yep, it may be Toyota bringing us that Hy-Wire car, as GM struggles to make changes to its existing plants.

    Like

  52. As a former Detroiter, I know that GM will never bring that car to market. They do this kind of stuff to convince congress they are investing in alternative fuels and so they deserve a break on fuel efficiency requirements on the current crop of guzzlers. Its a dog and pony show.

    Toyota is eating their lunch and will eventually get around to their breakfast and dinner too if they don’t wise up.

    Like

  53. As a former Detroiter, I know that GM will never bring that car to market. They do this kind of stuff to convince congress they are investing in alternative fuels and so they deserve a break on fuel efficiency requirements on the current crop of guzzlers. Its a dog and pony show.

    Toyota is eating their lunch and will eventually get around to their breakfast and dinner too if they don’t wise up.

    Like

  54. I looove Top Gear, best car show on TV, although not available in the US, only on YouTube. They should really distribute it here. It’s great. (you can buy region 2 dvds on ebay and they do play on laptops)

    About the Hydrogen car. It’s cool, but the issue with the hydrogen power is the highly exposive and dangerous nature of transporting, and refilling the hydrogen tank and the risk of accidents with it. It pretty much means instant-death with how explosive it is. I think they have to work on the saftey stuff and the cost reduction of offering this technology before it will impact our lives.

    Research and development of this kind of thing is still cool though and I hope the new developments keep on coming.

    Like

  55. I looove Top Gear, best car show on TV, although not available in the US, only on YouTube. They should really distribute it here. It’s great. (you can buy region 2 dvds on ebay and they do play on laptops)

    About the Hydrogen car. It’s cool, but the issue with the hydrogen power is the highly exposive and dangerous nature of transporting, and refilling the hydrogen tank and the risk of accidents with it. It pretty much means instant-death with how explosive it is. I think they have to work on the saftey stuff and the cost reduction of offering this technology before it will impact our lives.

    Research and development of this kind of thing is still cool though and I hope the new developments keep on coming.

    Like

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