What future trends do you think will happen in the auto industry with fuel...?

Question

I'm curious what people think about the type of fuel vehicles will use say 10, 20, 50 years down the road. It just seems like right now there are so many possibilities, from electric, hydrogen, solar, biofuel, etc...

Answer 1

The currant rate of fuel, is supposed to stay around the same rate until well into 2010.  Frankly, Americans don't spend nearly as much as Euros do on a gallon of petrol.  

Trends:  alternative fuels, less travel, more public transportation

Many people will start to keep vehicles longer, as the investment is more, and cars will be less disposable then they are now.  Better maintenance.

More recycled parts, here in the US, there is 1.5 cars for each and every citizen.  This counts what is on the road, and in the junk yards.

Smaller vehicles.

Answer 2

i hope solar, its the only thing that doesnt take awaay from something else

Answer 3

the conversion of crude to electricity rather than gasoline.

Just think a hundred bux a barrel is 50 gal of crude that would be 2.00 a gallon with no emissions in an electric car.

Answer 4

I think Biofuel would definitely take over bieng the main source of our power, but our cars will be hybrid, gas electric.

Answer 5

Well Global Warming is probably going to melt the ice in Antarctica...so, we will have alot of extra water. Everyone will probably have Hydrogen or Hydroelectric powere Cars.

Answer 6

10 years - Gasoline and diesel

20 years - Gasoline and diesel

50 years - Gasoline and diesel.

Probably less gasoline and more diesel as time goes forward.

Answer 7

I think there is a demand (even if not a real need) for alternative fuel.  Right now it is not cost effective to buy a hybrid, so technology must advance.

I believe what will happen is (I'm in the U.S.) we will tap our resources in Alaska and elsewhere in order to gain energy independence and keep prices reasonable.  Supply and demand.

The next 10 or 20 years will see some advances in alternative fuel vehicles, but no real changes.  I, for one, still want my pavement shredding V8 and will still pay for the fuel.  Many still want or need the SUV and minivan.  Families won't give up this sort of convenience just to buy a dinky, underpowered vehicle with a range of only 73 miles.  It just isn't practical.

Bio is OK for a small percentage, but not at all practical for a petrol replacement.  Solar, still can't make enough power - especially on sunny days, and how do we drive at night?  Lunar converter, I guess.

50 years?  We may see enough advancement in electric cars that we will be able to power vehicles we want to drive.

Answer 8

you are going to see more hybrid, and multi fuel cars in the future. you are going to see an increase in the use of biofuels including alcohol, vegetable oil, peanut oil, etc. you are also going to see an increase in the number of hybrid vehicles, and pure electric vehicles as well, perhaps even solar powered vehicles as solar cells continue to improve. hydrogen cell and hydrogen fuel vehicles will also be a part of the mix as well. we may even see steam powered vehicles make a come back, at least in a limited way, perhaps with an on demand type of steam generator, that could recycle the water used to make the steam.

Answer 9

My cousin drives a diesel pickup truck which he has started fueling with vegetable oil.  He gets the vegetable oil free from what restaurants have left over, and as far as I know his truck has run fine.  I don't see everyone switching to this, but I thought it was interesting when I found out.

Answer 10

Solar

I don't think people will buy the cars anyway. They will be too expensive. Bikes and horses will rule.

Answer 11

i dunno about different kinds, but the gas will go up,i promise you that for sure, and if they find some other source of fuel, they will make it low at first and in 1 year it will go up, either way when it comes to cars and everything else, the government will s***w us out of it all, (even more than now if that's possible) =D hope this helps clear things up for ya (if u didn't already know) =D

Answer 12

Plug in hybrids.  Houses will also become more efficient due to rising coal, natural gas, and uranium prices.  The excess electricity can be used to charge these cars.  You will begin to see the true value of capitalism.  New companies will form that make more efficient, cheaper, more reliable, and cleaner products.  There have already been quite a few new companies in the electric car industry.  10 years and 20 years from now electric cars and plug in hybrids will be popular.  50 years i really have no idea.

Answer 13

After the great biofuel crash (people would rather eat than drive) the electric car is the only thing to replace gasoline. But that will require massive construction of new power plants. Nuclear is the only proven technology; several hundred new plants will be needed (there are about 110 currently in US). Hopefully, solar will be developed to start closing the nuclear plants by 2070.