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The idea of "highway trains" is promising. Cars are still inefficient - only 1% of the energy they consume is actually used to propel the driver. It's hard to
by kadavy 16y ago
The idea of "highway trains" is promising. Cars are still inefficient - only 1% of the energy they consume is actually used to propel the driver.
It's hard to get too excited about anything involving cars.
- borisk 16y agoCar industry haven't made enough progress in the last 100 years, but your 1% is way off. A modern car diesel engine (like the one in BMW 320d ED) can exceed 45% efficiency.
- TheSOB88 16y agoCar weight = ~4000 Average person = ~200
- ubernostrum 16y agoThat's not a problem with the efficiency of the engines or other parts. That's a social issue of people who drive with no passengers.
- philwelch 16y agoOnce you've overcome the social issue of each person wanting their very own vehicle, you don't need cars at all. You can use buses and trains.
- shin_lao 16y agoExcept where you want to go where buses and train don't go...
- philwelch 16y agoFunny, no one ever complains about the times you want to go where highways don't go. Seriously, though, countries with functioning infrastructure have trains that go nearly everywhere, or at least close enough you can walk or bicycle the rest of the way.
- protomyth 16y agoI'm in the US. The closest bus stop to the college I work at is > 90 miles away and the closest train stop is 13 miles away but is unstaffed and not for local transit. Roads are the base transportation infrastructure in the US, so using that existing infrastructure is a good bet.
- philwelch 16y agoI'm in the US too, and it sucks. That's why I said "countries with functioning infrastructure" (because with anything bigger than a small town, driving around isn't functioning infrastructure). But you're not going to have any kind of sustainable infrastructure when it takes a 1-2 ton vehicle to move a 100-300 pound person any distance, whether or not the vehicle is automated.
- protomyth 16y agoWe are going to have to come up with something "sustainable" with only 1 or 2 people in the vehicle, because the US still has a lot of rural areas.
- philwelch 16y agoRural areas make up very little of the population. Although there's some improvement there--I live in a rural town that's quite navigable by bicycle and has a good bus system. The real problem is the suburbs.
- protomyth 16y agoUhm, there are no buses here (see other posts) and bicycles don't work in certain conditions (high winds, snow, -40F below weather). Plus, let's also remember that a lot of places don't have facilities for people to bike into work (like showers), not to mention the people who can't use bikes.
- 16y ago