1 / 1

Lean, Green, Moving Machine: Sustainable Transportation

dezso
Download Presentation

Lean, Green, Moving Machine: Sustainable Transportation

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. “The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much we're contributing to the warming of the earth's atmosphere and how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return. And unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels and chart a new course on energy in this country, we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe” – BarackObama Lean, Green, Moving Machine: Sustainable Transportation MadsYdemark, Campbell Stevenson, Nick Aubin Technological Advances/Public Perception • 1884- First electrically propelled vehicle created by English inventor Thomas Parker • 1897- First commercial application of the electric automobile • Fleet of electrical New York Taxis operated by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia • 1900s- Electric automobiles find niche as “city cars” • Limited range and slow speeds better suited for urban travel • 1912- Sales of electric automobiles peak • 38% of cars on the road are powered by electricity • 1915- Mass production leads to Fords becoming much less expensive and thus more popular • Ford- $440 Electric roadster- $1,750 • 1959- Improvements in battery technology lead to another attempt at a mass produced electric automobile- The Henney Kilowatt • Improved performance but still too expensive to revive popularity • 1990- General Motors unveils an electric concept car at the Los Angeles Auto Show • 1994- REVA Electric Car Company presents REVAi • Production begins in 2001, now best selling electric car worldwide • 1999- Honda Insight hybrid car becomes the first hybrid to be sold in the United States • 2000s energy crisis renews interest in alternative fuel automobiles • 2000s- Economic recession as well as skyrocketing gas prices spur an increase in automakers’ commitment to alternative energy vehicles • Hybrids begin to gain larger market share • 2010- The much anticipated release of the Chevrolet Volt, seen at left, signals the return of the electric car hybrid to prominence • Improvements have made electric vehicles a viable alternative in modern times and automakers will continue to produce them in larger quantities than ever before The Future of Green • Focus Questions • What is the future of mass transit in the United States? • What have European countries done right? • Will the U.S.A. ever have a truly clean form of transportation for the masses? • Does our culture prevent us from “Goin’ Green” Political Interests • Issues today • CAFE – Nationwide standards or allowing states to regulate emission levels? • Flex-fuel – Do car owners utilize their cars’ green features? • STS – How big a role should government play when it comes to regulating the car industry? • Futuristic Technology • SkyTran- NASA is developing technology to have elevated highways with vehicles boasting 200 MPG efficiency and no pollution • Porsche has developed a hybrid 918 Spyder concept car that gets 78 mpg yet still has a top speed of 198 mph

More Related