Speak Izy [everything cars]
In the ever revolving field of transportation, disruptive technologies
come in many forms, but most innovators are focusing on either
changing the vehicle design or the power source.
For many, the answer to this impending global transportation crisis
lies in creating alternative transportation vehicles, which have are
gaining relevancy and reach in our time. These vehicles range from
electric skateboards, to scooters, to power boots, to electric
bicycles, to robotic drones, to hybrid cars, to a variety of mass
transit systems.
The automobile is important as an indicator of social and economic
success in both the prewar and postwar periods. Its importance has
been demonstrated repeatedly, but thus far few attempts have been
made to pursue the connections between Futurism and Boom era
symbolism or the implications of these connections. Immediately
upon its turn of the century introduction. Road races were all the
rage in the consumerism peak, with the victors earning fame and
notoriety from various car models that are yet to hit market.
The anxiety over consumer goods was is a manifestation of the
need to exert control over the physical trappings of modern life, of
technology and the pressure to succeed, consume and control. In
short, the car, as a consumer, bourgeois obsession, has become
sublimated into exactly the class of cultural phenomenon that the
Futurists were protesting against.
Some are carving out interesting niche businesses, even ones that
are quite profitable, but so far none are even close to disrupting
traditional buying patterns for the automobile industry.
The compute platform that’s become the standard has migrated
from the PC to the smartphone and now the compute platform
that’s really driving research and development in the tech companies is automotive. The dawn of the electric car era is upon us with automakers
expected to launch about 120 electric models in the next three to
five years.
The new propulsion system, which may eventually see four small
wheel motors rather than one large one, frees up space in the car’s
chassis.
With an electric motor, there’s virtually no transmission, no exhaust
system, no lubricating or extensive cooling systems and, if wheel
motors are introduced, separate braking systems could eventually
disappear too. Carmakers are also going greener with materials.
Studies now show that recycled nylon from fishing lines pulled from
the ocean, an eco-suede material made of recycled polyester and
other plastics and repurposed rubber in tires produced from the
waste of tire manufacturing.
Seat position, climate control, lighting, navigation and
entertainment will all fit the registered user’s preferences from a
futuristic car model/brand. The automobile has long held a special
place in the hearts of consumers as a utilitarian product, but also a
fashion accessory that says much about the owner. That romance
seems to be withering with younger generations, who value cars
more now for their technological prowess.
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the number of
new automobiles produced in the world each year is now over 60
million. Currently, the US Bureau of Transit Statistics shows there
are over 243 million registered passenger vehicles in the US with
an overall median age of 8.9 years, a significant increase over 1990
when the median age of vehicles was 6.5 years.
An alternative to road-based traffic problems will naturally be flying
cars.
This age old vision is far more than a mere pipe dream. However,
once a well-functioning flying car is produced, it will take another
10-15 years for traffic systems to be implemented that will accommodate a high-volume flying car network. Affordability is
another primary constraint that will severely limit the flying car’s
impact.
Changes in the field of transportation lag significantly behind the
changes we have seen in communications and Internet technology.
Mechanical systems are much harder to design, test, and
implement. But the demand is strong and the coming years of
experimentation will be very exciting to watch.
