Designers to the rescue: Detroit, where's the electric behind them grills?
Steve Michel
In the past years, Detroit's auto stylists have bandied about with
concept hybrid and fuel cell hydrogen cars. Internally these vehicles
are true technical marvels operating with clean energy. But
unfortunately we have yet to see their wide use or see them advertised.
Is that surprising? At best these cars, which represent the single most important progress in automotive technology, are carry over models that look no different than your average SUVs and show no real performance break-throughs. Hybrids like the Ford Hybrid Explorer is an attempt at the 'have your cake and eat too' approach ie. SUV big size with mid size car gas consumption. But were are the models that look downright ballistic?
Cars are artifacts of tradition; performance or the a least the
appearance of such are an intrinsic part of vehicle sales. Thus far,
only Japanese car companies have put out hybrid cars like the Toyota
Prius that embody the concept of progress. The Toyota Prius is
streamlined and truly aerodynamic.
In fact, electric vehicles can be quite cool. All the shortcomings of
battery power storage have been overcome for a decade with the introduction of polymer Lithium Ion batteries that charge instantly and hold hundreds of miles of range. An all electric motor wheel can engage the road from start line faster with more torque than gas cars-simply stated, the motors power goes directly to the wheels without intervening power robbing transmission gears and motor thermodynamics. There are even quarter mile all electric drag races with performance times that can put gas powered internal combustion engines to shame. Since 2000, Italian, u.k. and japanese car companies have produced and demonstrated (http://www.acpropulsion.com/Press releases/tzero_Beats_Ferrari.htm )electric powered cars that beat ferraris and porshe boxters from the starting line on numerous runs.
Yet all the breakthroughs have been buried by an indifferent mainstream media as if electric cars don't exist and are seldom discussed as the high tech development that they are. There is a total disjunction between what mainstream media reports and the actual and tremendous grass roots activity to promote all electric transportation. All this has hurt hybrid vehicle market share and sales. To date market for eco-friendly cars are only 1%. Only the hybrid cars from Japan have left the starting line faster, from prototype stage straight to the showroom floors; and are selling faster than they can produce them.
Is Detroit falling behind, asleep at the wheel? Japan has had production hybrid models on the roads for over a decade, some already at their fifth generation. Detroit has only had a few electric prototypes and timid hybrid models. Meanwhile, Detroit's advertising budget is tied up with pushing traditional wheels like the Mustang or F-150 pick ups on TV. But, paradoxically, it is designers and engineers who might save Amemerican car companies from themselves. The design solution might be a simple matter of shoehorning hybrid engines into those high performance factory models and putting them in the showrooms NOW before its too late. After all, Detroit has had decades of concept cars under its hood.
740watts and counting:
Performance values are an important part of vehicle marketing. If horse power is the traditional measurement of power, Kilowatts is its natural successor. The concept gasoline cars still being shown nowadays are superficial at best: although they boast four digit HP, under their hoods is the same ole internal combustion racket with a yet to be improved 30% thermodynamic efficiency. The marketing departments must step to the plate and redefine car performance perception to the buying public if Detroit is to remain as players in the field. Again Japan has the lead again with juggernaut ad campaigns. One has to wonder, with GM planning layoffs, just when Detroit will wake up.
©Sm04/06
Long time environmental advocate, avid
science and technology observer, and afro-futurist, Steve is a Designer and free lance writer, editor of http://www.dalani.com, Dalani News, ia a bi-monthly E-zine of Lateral Modernism.
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