Earthlight Magazine / Books / Home
Copyright © 1997 by Guy McCarthy
All rights reserved. Inquiries should be addressed to
Twelve Star Publishing, P.O. Box 123, Jefferson, MD 21755
Earthlight Magazine / Books
/ Home
Copyright © 1997 by Guy McCarthy
All rights reserved. Inquiries should be addressed to
Twelve Star Publishing, P.O. Box 123, Jefferson, MD 21755
Many of us spend a great deal of time in our cars. We drive
to work, drive to the store, shuttle the kids, pick up a movie,
etc. We also spend a great deal of money on our cars: monthly
car payments, insurance bills, gasoline, maintenance costs, etc.
Automobiles have a tremendous impact on our society.
Unfortunately, automobiles have a tremendous negative impact on
our environment. First of all, cars are energy-intensive to manufacture.
Most of this energy is generated inefficiently by coal-fired power
plants. Second, to fuel our cars, we use convoys of single-walled
tankers to haul millions of gallons of oil across the oceans.
The environmental risks associated with this practice are great,
as evidenced by the Exxon Valdez disaster. Third, as millions
of gallons of gasoline are consumed, huge volumes of pollutants
are released into the atmosphere. Yuk!!
The political risks of oil dependance are also great. Only a few
years ago this country waged the Gulf War in the name of energy
security. Ironically, the nefarious villain in that conflict was
well-protected by technology we ourselves had supplied, also in
the name of energy security.
Clearly our dependance on the automobile and its oily fuel has
gotten us into big trouble. We would be wise to avoid these consequences
in the future. What can be done to improve the situation?
There are several ways we can operate our cars more efficiently
and reduce the amount of fuel consumed. First of all, combine
trips whenever possible. With a little bit of intention, you will
find that fewer outings are really necessary, and the fuel saved
means more money in your pocket.
Second, get in the habit of checking your tire pressure regularly.
This can affect gas mileage up to 15%. An accurate tire gauge
can be had for less than $10 (get the dial type, not the kind
with a sliding stick.) Also important are frequent oil changes
and tune-ups. When it is time to replace a car, keep fuel efficiency
in mind as you evaluate options.
All of these things will maximize your fuel dollar and soften
the environmental impact of your car. But the most exciting thing
you can do is also remarkably simple: ask for a new kind of automobile.
The next time you meet a high pressure car salesman, tell him
you want a car that is lighter, safer, much less polluting, and
gets at least 150 miles per gallon. Tell him you want a hypercar.
Hypercar is a term coined by the Rocky
Mountain Institute (RMI), a nonprofit resource and educational
foundation in Snowmass, Colorado. In 1991, RMI began a technical
feasibility study for an entirely new generation of personal vehicles
that would be lightweight, safe, energy efficient, and economical.
After two years of design and simulation demonstrated the feasibility
of the concept, RMI launched a commercialization phase of the
project in 1993. By the end of 1995, 25 companies were involved
in the cooperative venture and nearly $1 billion was committed
to hypercar development.
The hypercar is a synthesis of two proven design philosophies:
ultralite, ultrasmooth construction and hybrid-electric propulsion.
A smooth underbody, covered wheel openings, meticulously designed
aerodynamic form, and smaller frontal area reduce air drag to
between one-third and one-fifth that of today's typical production
cars. This increases performance and efficiency without sacrificing
interior space or safety. As a result, the hypercar needs much
less power to accelerate or to cruise at highway speeds.
Lightweight composites and other advanced materials are used to
construct an integrated body-and-chassis that is stronger and
much lighter than in a conventional steel car. Furthermore, the
significantly smaller propulsion system leaves room at both ends
of the car for materials dedicated to crash energy management.
These crush zones allow the hypercar to match or exceed the safety
of a heavier car, even if the two collide head-on, and provide
substantially improved safety when hitting stationary objects.
Rather than using a large internal combustion engine, as nearly
all cars do today, or an electric motor powered by a massive battery
pack, the hypercar would be driven by four small electric wheel
motors, a small generator set, and a buffer for temporary storage
of excess energy. The generator set could be a small combustion
engine or turbine connected to a generator, a thermo-photovoltaic
burner that converts heat to electricity, or a fuel cell that
converts gaseous fuel directly to electricity. Depending on the
particular technology, it could run on gasoline, diesel, alcohol,
natural gas, or even hydrogen. The small buffer of batteries,
flywheels, or ultracapacitors would be optimized to absorb or
release energy quickly during braking, acceleration, and hill-climbing.
During braking, the electric motors that drive the wheels function
as generators, recovering up to 70% of the braking energy, all
of which is thrown away as heat by conventional brakes. Recovered
energy is then stored in the buffer for later use during acceleration
or hill-climbing. There would also be standard mechanical antilock
brakes, used only as an emergency backup or supplement in severe
conditions.
Selective superwindows and exterior finishes, and insulated walls,
keep out the heat of the sun on hot days but retain interior heat
on cold days, reducing space conditioning loads by more than 75%.
In addition, solar-powered fans rid the car of excess heat. These
and other passive technologies could eliminate the need for air
conditioning in most climates. A small air conditioner, if still
needed, could be driven by engine waste heat.
Together, ultralight design, smooth aerodynamics, and efficient
hybrid propulsion can provide 150-300 mpg or more, with about
100 times less emissions than today's cars. Hypercars may even
be cheaper to manufacture, since the integrated composite body-and-chassis
requires only 6-20 parts, as compared to 250 or more for a steel
car. Needing far fewer mechanical parts would also cut costs and
improve reliability.
The hypercar is a wonderful vision of the future. You can help
turn this vision into reality by spreading awareness of the hypercar
concept. Check out the references listed below for additional
information. And be sure to ask for one at your local car dealership.
Portions of this article are reprinted with permission from the
Rocky Mountain Institute, 1739 Snowmass Creek Rd., Snowmass, CO
81654-9199. Tel: (970) 927-3851, Fax: (970) 927-4178, Website:
http://www.rmi.org/
Guy McCarthy is a writer, philosopher, and engineer. He
can be reached via earthlight! at (301) 473-9035.
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