Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community (https://thetfp.com/tfp/)
-   General Discussion (https://thetfp.com/tfp/general-discussion/)
-   -   What do you think you'll be driving in 20 years? (https://thetfp.com/tfp/general-discussion/52655-what-do-you-think-youll-driving-20-years.html)

Rodney 04-16-2004 02:53 PM

What do you think you'll be driving in 20 years?
 
This is not a Tilted Motors what's-your-favorite-ride question. Rather, what technology of car or vehicle do you think many or most of us will be driving in 20 years? Still internal combustion? Fuel Cell? Electric? Will the car of the future be bigger? Smaller? Will there be more one-seaters around? Will public transit actually prove to be worth a damn and reduce the need for cars?

Personally, I'm hearing of a growing global shortfall of oil in 5-10 years, given increasing demand (from all the usual suspects, plus India and China), a falloff in new oil discoveries, and flat production in current oilfields. I'm thinking that we'll all have fewer and/or smaller cars and that there'll be more "metro" vehicles: better-technology small electric cars, single-user electric vehicles vaguely similar to the Segway only less dorky and more capable, and maybe more multi-modal transit -- the kind where you can ride a small electric scooter or vehicle to the train, bring it on board, and ride away again once the train gets to destination.

I'm in a minority here because I think electric vehicles have been written off too quickly; fuel cell is a nice technology, but the cost of the hydrogen producing/distributing infrastructure would be huge. You don't need that with electric, and some newer battery technologies would be great for electric cars if they ever get the cost down. But let's not let this all be about electric cars. Just _what_ do you expect to be driving, and why?

WarWagon 04-16-2004 02:58 PM

Hopefully something powered by Nitro. At least on the strip, I could really care less about my street cars, though it'd be nice if they went to ethanol.

Bobaphat 04-16-2004 03:17 PM

Hopefully something kind of car that runs on some yet undiscovered cheap, clean, renewable fuel source and goes really fast and looks really hot.

Halx 04-16-2004 04:02 PM

According to various sources, I'll be teleporting to where I need to go.

heyal256 04-16-2004 04:06 PM

Being semi-realistic, I'd think that we'd be driving some sort of electric/bio-diesel/ethanol type hybrid (maybe with a few solar panels).

Then again it would be nice to have transporters/flying cars like we were promised when we were kids (I think I watched waaaaaaaay too much tv as a kid :) )

Kaos 04-16-2004 04:12 PM

I'm still waiting for the flying car :(

animosity 04-16-2004 04:19 PM

i see myself not leaving my house, using the internet for eveything i need.

tkkfan 04-16-2004 04:27 PM

I think the cars in Minority Report are still too far off, but I really see the same stuff, just things that look a little more like Chryslers. Chrysler seems to have the most futuristic looking cars atm. I don't think 20 yrs is enough time for change tho.

Although, the last 100 years have been the most productive and technologically advanced...ever. It just seems that there are too many conservatives in America to actually move forward. They are having too many hangups with technology and are fighting against change.

Fremen 04-16-2004 04:46 PM

Some of us need to go back to horse and buggy.
Slow some people down.

Go Amish!

phredgreen 04-16-2004 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halx
According to various sources, I'll be teleporting to where I need to go.
care to share those sources?



i think the peak oil thing is an overreaction, but it is going to spur new hydrogen technology... i see cars using hydrogen sooner than later, with the possibility of cold fusion in the next 10-20 years replacing that as a cheap, safe alternative.

ratbastid 04-16-2004 05:25 PM

There was a sci-fi novel I read once that featured vehicles that were basically enormous gyroscopes, riding on a single wheel. They got forward velocity by inclining the axis of the vehicle relative to the plane of the gyroscope, to produce gyroscopic precession forces to accellerate the vehicle. Pretty nifty!

Probably more than 20 years off, though. I think hybrids are the wave of the immediate future. Probably 10 years. By then we may have a battery that can last long enough to have a solely electric car (that actually has room in the trunk for something other than batteries).

telekinetic 04-16-2004 05:27 PM

I see myself driving an AWD zero-emmissions turbocharged gas-electric hybrid, with a continuously variable transmission and four-wheel steering. Petroleum will still be the primary fuel, because the oil industry is too big to just fade away.

It will have electormagnetic dampers for shocks, and all drive-by-wire controls with haptic feedback ("Force feedback", like in joysticks, so you can 'feel the road')

You will be able to dial in the ride so it will drive like anything from a mostly-FWD stable commuter with a luxery ride and gentle to an AWD-supplimented RWD performance vehicle with stiffened suspension and close-ratio steering. It will have even more sophisticated skyline-like traction, stability, and ABS controls...and it will recognize the driver by the key-fob and learn their various habits (Manage drivetrain for economy vs. sport, for example) and remember their settings.

As far as safety features, it will have quite a few smart air-bags, including some external low-speed collision airbags on the front bumper and side panels of the vehicle to help it pass new 35mph minimal-injury pedestrian collision requirements that the government will have mandated. Also, it will have front looking radar, both for smart and dynamic speed-adjusting cruise control (will keep you X distance from the car ahead, or XX speed, whichever is faster) and an accident avoidance measure (will apply the brakes if it calculates that the closing rate between the vehicles will result in a collision).

Yup...that's about it. Now, if this were 50 years, I'd say lane-following and point-to-point autopilot, but i don't think they're going to get that advanced.

tecoyah 04-16-2004 05:28 PM

I see vehicles powered by the flywheel. regenerating power from movement and braking.

MSD 04-16-2004 06:55 PM

In 20 years, we'll all be driving hybrids, and those who don't will be taxed nearly to death. All high-performance vehicles will be running TDI systems, reducing fuel consumption while maintaining performance (Like the new Lamborghini Gallardo that gets 35mpg and delivers over 600hp 980 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.) A universal mass transit system will be in the works, with tax credits and incentives for those who chose to leave the car at home, or to not own a car at all.

The art of bicycle riding will regain popularity among fears of diminishing oil supply, and cyclists will have their own safe lanes along most roads with barriers to separate them from traffic. It will be cheaper and more efficient to make short bike trips than to hop in the car and drive a few blocks.

Home delivery services with online ordering will eliminate the need for most grocery store trips and other errands, reducing road congestion and pollution.

zxello 04-16-2004 08:44 PM

I'll be jacked into the matrix and thinking my way to wherever I want to go =)

guthmund 04-16-2004 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halx
According to various sources, I'll be teleporting to where I need to go.

Everytime I think of teleportation, I'm reminded of the scene in Spaceballs where the President's head gets slapped on backwards and facing his ass. No thanks. :)

I really don't think in 20 years you'll need to leave the house all that much. Movies, plays, and concerts pumped into your home on demand. Everything you need will be delivered promptly. Working from home will be the standard and schools will be a combination of on-line curriculum and real-time with interactive lessons with instructors through the television. (Sort of like current "distance learning" classes, but beefed up with better support)

Obviously there are some things that you will have to leave the house for. I really don't see much innovation for the car industry in the next 20 years. (They've always been rather reluctant) Optimistically speaking however, I think by then cars will have made the complete switch to an alternative power (electric, hydrogen, or something we haven't found yet.) I also think that the current crop of SUV/Sedan cars will become more the norm.

brandon11983 04-16-2004 09:20 PM

I want to be driving a spaceship. Or maybe one of those cars from the game Wip3out.

irseg 04-16-2004 09:25 PM

I'm not so sure cars of 20 years from now will be significantly different. My '88 Thunderbird is almost 20 years old. It has a turbo 4 cylinder and all the stuff a typical modern car has. Power everything, ABS, multiport fuel injection, modern emissions controls, etc. Aside from the styling and safety ietms (no airbags) it's not much different from most cars of today.

As for design, given the trend of retro styling and SUV+car hybrids, I think 1940s era designs might make somewhat of a comeback.

Karby 04-16-2004 09:31 PM

i'm thinking some kind of electric hybrid of some sort...i dunno. i don't know very much about cars..

World's King 04-17-2004 02:18 AM

This.

77' Cadillac
http://www.dragers.com/dgc1796/dgc1796_big.jpg

tisonlyi 04-17-2004 02:26 AM

Gyrocars have been made before...

Gyro X

Myself?

I'm banking on us all transcending the physical form and becoming creatures of pure energy.

*holds breath*

RoboBlaster 04-17-2004 06:37 AM

I'll be driving my wife crazy.

Lasereth 04-17-2004 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by irseg
I'm not so sure cars of 20 years from now will be significantly different.
I agree. Body styles and names will be different, but I don't see any major changes on the horizon. There will probably be more hybrid cars out there, but I really, really don't think that they'll be much more popular than they are today. People still drive 20 year old cars today, so they will 20 years from now as well.

50 years is a good time gap to see a big changes in cars. I think after 50 years there's a good possibility that most of the drivers will have hybrid cars.

-Lasereth

tkkfan 04-17-2004 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by irseg
I'm not so sure cars of 20 years from now will be significantly different. My '88 Thunderbird is almost 20 years old. It has a turbo 4 cylinder and all the stuff a typical modern car has. Power everything, ABS, multiport fuel injection, modern emissions controls, etc. Aside from the styling and safety ietms (no airbags) it's not much different from most cars of today.

As for design, given the trend of retro styling and SUV+car hybrids, I think 1940s era designs might make somewhat of a comeback.

ditto

skier 04-17-2004 07:57 AM

I would really love to see fuel cell powered cars on the road in 20 years, but I don't think it;s really feasible. If hydrogen based power develops, I think it'll start with generators and portable power sources first before moving on to automotive applications.

Bill O'Rights 04-17-2004 08:16 AM

Hybrids and fuel cells aside...I'll probably still be driving my '77 Chevy pick-up. That thing won't die!!

Redjake 04-17-2004 01:20 PM

I think there will be more hybrid cars. Maybe some full-electric ones. But the biggest part will definitely be combustion engines still. No flying cars.

nanofever 04-17-2004 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ratbastid
There was a sci-fi novel I read once that featured vehicles that were basically enormous gyroscopes, riding on a single wheel. They got forward velocity by inclining the axis of the vehicle relative to the plane of the gyroscope, to produce gyroscopic precession forces to accellerate the vehicle. Pretty nifty!

I think the Soutpark guys might have a working prototype of what you are describing...

http://www.southpark.dsl.pipex.com/i...i511/511-1.gif

CinnamonGirl 04-17-2004 07:20 PM

I'm sure everyone else will have a nicer car, but *I* will be driving a flying Delorean :D

http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/delorean.bmp

bltzkriegmcanon 04-17-2004 07:20 PM

Hopefully I won't still be driving my piece of shit '90 Honda.

BoomTruck 04-17-2004 07:24 PM

An old Kenworth W900B.

Hey, I'm too damn tall to fit in a car, ok? :)

MSD 04-17-2004 07:46 PM

I was just thinking, and since diesel engines can be easily converted to run on plant oils, I'll bet that legalization of THC-free hemp gives us a super-cheap and renewable source of fuel.

This kills the fuel problem and reduces the pollution problem.

analog 04-17-2004 08:25 PM

I think some of the biggest advances are the electromagnet shock systems. they are in working condition now, but they are trying to find a practical way to power it in a car. basically- when the car is in motion, the chassis, or any other part of the car for that matter, is NEVER touching the wheels. You basically float on the magnetic field it creates... smoothest ride you can have is a ride on a non-existent surface. You could be driving over rebar or rocks and you'd never know it.

shakran 04-17-2004 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by analog
I think some of the biggest advances are the electromagnet shock systems. they are in working condition now, but they are trying to find a practical way to power it in a car. basically- when the car is in motion, the chassis, or any other part of the car for that matter, is NEVER touching the wheels. You basically float on the magnetic field it creates... smoothest ride you can have is a ride on a non-existent surface. You could be driving over rebar or rocks and you'd never know it.

hey that's a great idea! Now i'll NEVER know when I'm starting to slide in a corner ;)

zxello 04-18-2004 10:15 AM

that gyro wheel is actually made, it has been on Ripley's Believe it or Not and some motorcycle shows, really unstable but its also pretty fast

Rodney 04-18-2004 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrSelfDestruct
I was just thinking, and since diesel engines can be easily converted to run on plant oils, I'll bet that legalization of THC-free hemp gives us a super-cheap and renewable source of fuel.

This kills the fuel problem and reduces the pollution problem.

I've talked to guys who make biodiesel in their garages from grease scavenged from restaurant grease traps. It's work and slightly dangerous -- involves lye and other fun stuff, and you're essentially putting together a mini-refinery. I also know people who are trying to make biodiesel commercially from the same sources (restaurant grease), but they can't compete with the renderers, who'll pay more -- it can be made into soap. There are also two or three cars in this town that run on soy oil as well.


Aside from that, there's an outfit called Changing World Technology, backed by a lot of heavy hitters, that's rolling out a technology called depolymerization, that basically can break down any organic waste matter -- sewage, food processing waste, old tires, practically any any polymer -- into useful products, particularly fuel oil, in a cost-effective manner. They've got a pilot plant and one commercial operation going already. If you can image putting a plant like this at every sewage treatment plant in America, you could produce _a lot_ of oil. Here's the website:

http://www.changingworldtech.com/home.html

None of the above address the issues of global warming through vehicle emissions, of course, and that may be more of an issue as time goes on. Even soy-oil-burning cars put out CO2.

Stare At The Sun 04-18-2004 04:46 PM

I will be driving a Mint condition Corvette stingray w/ a 427. And, probably some sort of luxury sports car to work and back.

Yeah, thats the plan anyways.

MSD 04-18-2004 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rodney
I also know people who are trying to make biodiesel commercially from the same sources (restaurant grease), but they can't compete with the renderers, who'll pay more -- it can be made into soap.
That's why the widespread cultivation of non-THC-bearing hemp will be a major factor. Hemp oil is extremely cheap if mass-produced. If it's the only viable alternative, it'll happen.

Sparhawk 04-18-2004 06:24 PM

Seriously, where's my fucking rocket pack?

http://www.musicweb.uk.net/film/mar99/rocketeer.jpg

Rodney 04-18-2004 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sparhawk
Seriously, where's my fucking rocket pack?

You might want to remember what Avery Brooks had to say on the subject:
Paste this URL into your browser address blank (for some reason, it doesn't execute correctly as a link from within TFP:


www.dailywav.com/0800/flyingcars.wav


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 07:24 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
© 2002-2012 Tilted Forum Project


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360