xcel
04-13-2007, 08:07 PM
Driving our Future. (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Javelin_Speed_Sled.jpgPopular Science - April 13, 2007
Javelin Speed Sled Photo – PopSci. Individual electric motors built into the wheels that generate a combined 450 horsepower - reaching 60 mph in less than four seconds on its way to a top speed of 200 mph. But the real innovation is its aerodynamics: Instead of fighting high-speed airflow, the car takes advantage of it, channeling the air around the central, low-slung pod to generate huge down force.
Automotive breakthroughs are an almost daily event, if you believe the press coming out of the car industry. The 2006 auto-show circuit showcased eight-speed automatics, high-res night vision, zero-lag turbos and a dozen other hyphenated doodads. But real automotive breakthroughs—the ones that transform the industry, and our hopes for it—are rare. We're here to show you a few of them.
This microsite is all about the breakthroughs that will fundamentally change what it means to drive a car in America. It's about whether we'll soon be filling up with ethanol or biodiesel or hydrogen (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/altfuel_main.html), or none of the above. It's about the guy who's proving that, with the right technology, electric cars (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/tesla_p1.html) can not only be practical, they can also win the hearts of the performance-hungry by being faster off the line than a gasoline-powered supercar. It's about the quest to build robots that drive for us (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/darpa_p1.html), even in the most complicated situations. It's about the brave little microcar (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/smartcar_p1.html) and its fight to earn a place on the big, bad American highway.
Not everything we predict here will come to pass. But the auto industry is changing fast, and we decided it was time to present the stories so big that one day you might forget cars were built any other way.
WHAT'S INSIDE:
Visions 2027 (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/concept_elastruck.html)
A sedan that snaps together like Legos. A truck that stretches like spandex. Here's what PopSci predicts tomorrows hottest vehicles will look like.
Taking It to the Street (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/darpa_p1.html)
Robots, start your engines. In the Darpa Urban Challenge, cars zip down city blocks, cut through traffic, and dodge wrecks, all without a driver.
Drive Fast, Save the World (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/tesla_p1.html)
The Tesla Roadster is faster than a Lamborghini, yet it runs on rechargeable battery packs. Meet the man who built it from scratch.
Green-Fuel Guide (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/altfuel_main.html)
Ethanol, hydrogen, biodiesel: In 20 years, what will you be pumping into your tank?
Is America Ready to Get Smart? (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/smartcar_p1.html)
It was a classic American road trip, in a decidedly un-American ride. Forget Graceland—the golf-cart-size Smart Car was a curiosity all on its own
[Read and see more (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/)] …
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Javelin_Speed_Sled.jpgPopular Science - April 13, 2007
Javelin Speed Sled Photo – PopSci. Individual electric motors built into the wheels that generate a combined 450 horsepower - reaching 60 mph in less than four seconds on its way to a top speed of 200 mph. But the real innovation is its aerodynamics: Instead of fighting high-speed airflow, the car takes advantage of it, channeling the air around the central, low-slung pod to generate huge down force.
Automotive breakthroughs are an almost daily event, if you believe the press coming out of the car industry. The 2006 auto-show circuit showcased eight-speed automatics, high-res night vision, zero-lag turbos and a dozen other hyphenated doodads. But real automotive breakthroughs—the ones that transform the industry, and our hopes for it—are rare. We're here to show you a few of them.
This microsite is all about the breakthroughs that will fundamentally change what it means to drive a car in America. It's about whether we'll soon be filling up with ethanol or biodiesel or hydrogen (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/altfuel_main.html), or none of the above. It's about the guy who's proving that, with the right technology, electric cars (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/tesla_p1.html) can not only be practical, they can also win the hearts of the performance-hungry by being faster off the line than a gasoline-powered supercar. It's about the quest to build robots that drive for us (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/darpa_p1.html), even in the most complicated situations. It's about the brave little microcar (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/smartcar_p1.html) and its fight to earn a place on the big, bad American highway.
Not everything we predict here will come to pass. But the auto industry is changing fast, and we decided it was time to present the stories so big that one day you might forget cars were built any other way.
WHAT'S INSIDE:
Visions 2027 (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/concept_elastruck.html)
A sedan that snaps together like Legos. A truck that stretches like spandex. Here's what PopSci predicts tomorrows hottest vehicles will look like.
Taking It to the Street (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/darpa_p1.html)
Robots, start your engines. In the Darpa Urban Challenge, cars zip down city blocks, cut through traffic, and dodge wrecks, all without a driver.
Drive Fast, Save the World (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/tesla_p1.html)
The Tesla Roadster is faster than a Lamborghini, yet it runs on rechargeable battery packs. Meet the man who built it from scratch.
Green-Fuel Guide (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/altfuel_main.html)
Ethanol, hydrogen, biodiesel: In 20 years, what will you be pumping into your tank?
Is America Ready to Get Smart? (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/smartcar_p1.html)
It was a classic American road trip, in a decidedly un-American ride. Forget Graceland—the golf-cart-size Smart Car was a curiosity all on its own
[Read and see more (http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/)] …