Abstract
As we embark upon another century of automobility, the condition of our environment and our state of awareness regarding it, demands that we rethink how we design cars for a global population. As affluence increases around the world, cars will surpass two billion within this century. The associated negative environmental impacts can only be mitigated by designing into the engineering prescription of each new car the very principles of sustainability. This paper describes how the automotive industry should do this.
We must handle energy and materials in new ways. Important is a shift to renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydro, and bio-fuels. Shifting to renewables demands energy-efficient designs of a much higher level than we are used to. Reducing consumption by recycling and using less disposable products lessens the escalating throughput of resources, from extraction to landfill. Minimizing waste means buying long-life products that are durable, easily repairable, and hold their value and utility over great lengths of time. Only then will the natural environment recover from the damage inflicted upon it during the manufacturing process.
The automotive challenge for the next century goes beyond technical considerations. Do we want powerful, seductive cars which can be viewed as fickle fashion models that we tire of quickly? Or, do we want the environmental car of tomorrow? This paper discusses why, at the most fundamental level, we should want to own and drive a clean, energy-efficient car.
As a design engineer, I feel a responsibility to act, to initiate positive change. The goal is to create a sophisticated automobile that drives on the power of sunlight, harnessed regionally through a mixture of solar, wind, hydro, and bio-fuel technologies.
Keywords: automotive, design, engineering, environment, renewable energy