Living Car Free - What if there was a perfect car?

What if a totally "green" car was invented? A big part of why I really dislike cars has nothing to do with environmental impact. If they did create a car that had no environmental impact (never mind how improbable that is), and everybody switched over to that, we're still left with a car centered society that can be hazardous to cyclists and pedestrians, and stressful to people in general. In fact, we might even see more people in cars since there are many who don't drive as much mainly because of the environmental problems. We might see less advocacy for bikes and public transportation without the environmental argument. If a perfect car existed would you rather drive than use alternate forms of transportation?

I was just thinking I would rather see all the money and R&D go into improving our ability to live without cars instead of improving the cars.

i think they should do both...make cars smaller and more green and plan communities with more green areas and seperate bike paths

id ride alot more if i wasnt worried about someone running me over

cars will never go away

You have to consider that it's not just the car. Its all the infrastructure required to feed and care for the car, all the parking lots, big roads, driveways, garages, gas stations, car parts stores etc. They all require massive amounts of space and resources.

I can't get my mind around your hypothetical totally green car. I mean, I know it's hypothetical and all... but when I try to imagine something that has all the good properties of a car, and make it totally green, what I come up with is basically a bicycle. Okay, maybe a solar powered, electric-assisted bicycle with three or four wheels, but still, basically, something a lot more like a bicycle than like a car. Like a bicycle, it would probably still be a hazard to bicycle and pedestrian traffic. It would not be as fast as a gasoline powered car, which would force people to use a lot more public transport.

I allways wondered why someone (ford, toyota, whoever) doesnt make a super economy car and market it as such. Of course they have all these hybreeds and whatever that basically your are trading in you emmissions for a mercury filled battery so that you can "feel good" and act like you are doing something.

There has to be a way to make a car with a tiny motor, max speed 60mph. super light, and gets 50+ mpg. Even the little cars like the Civics and Corollas are getting to be the size of tanks.

You have to consider that it's not just the car. Its all the infrastructure required to feed and care for the car, all the parking lots, big roads, driveways, garages, gas stations, car parts stores etc. They all require massive amounts of space and resources.

True, I don't really think it's possible to even create a perfectly green car, and of course the infrastructure would still be a problem. It seems to me we are throwing our money and resources at the wrong problems. Like we so often do, we are treating the symptoms and ignoring the disease.

I don't think the world will ever be rid of cars. They do have their uses. I just don't think they should be the dominant form of transportation that they are now, even if they are "green."

So this car is a hybrid of the compactness of a Jetson's aircar with the feet power of a Flintstones car?

I allways wondered why someone (ford, toyota, whoever) doesnt make a super economy car and market it as such. Of course they have all these hybreeds and whatever that basically your are trading in you emmissions for a mercury filled battery so that you can "feel good" and act like you are doing something.

There has to be a way to make a car with a tiny motor, max speed 60mph. super light, and gets 50+ mpg. Even the little cars like the Civics and Corollas are getting to be the size of tanks.

The size of the cars has to do with the size of all the OTHER cars on the road... nobody(90%+ of drivers) wants a small car, they want something the size of an SUV because that's what's 'safe'.

Other countries already have tiny cars...

A rush hour freeway full of Perfect Cars is still going to be congested, slow, and aggravating, just like it is today.

Environmental effects would likely be reduced, but that's about it. All the other problems will still exist.

I think I already own the perfect car... its called a bicycle :)

You have to consider that it's not just the car. Its all the infrastructure required to feed and care for the car, all the parking lots, big roads, driveways, garages, gas stations, car parts stores etc. They all require massive amounts of space and resources.

Agree ++

A perfect car was created in "Ring Around The Sun" by Clifford Simak. You just put in gas and oil and it never wore out, But Never. You deeded it to your children and grand children . . . Along with things like the eternal razor blade it was designed to cause the total collapse, for good reason, of the World economy.

It would suck because it would exacerbate the problems of urban sprawl, the dehumanization of traffic congestion and further lead to the disenfranchisment of those unable to afford it.

Since a car is manmade the damage to the earth from mining
and manufacturing the car means that there is no such thing as a.....
"perfect car".

Perfect car will protect you from inclement weather, be able to be tipped up on it's rear bumper for storage, run on air and take up less space than a bicycle in traffic...:p

Aaron:)

Nobody hates cars more than I do, but I can see that developing a "somewhat more perfect" car would be an improvement over what we have now. Maybe a baby step toward the ultimate goal?

There actually is a "relatively" efficient car already.
It's called a smart (http://www.smart.com).
Supposedly it gets around 40 mpg and will do 90mph, but probably not at the same time.
I've seen quite a few in europe, but you can't get one in the US.

yet.

The FourTwo is going to be sold in the US in Q1 2008. My dad might actually want one -- he says that he thinks they're a perfect city car.

I'll "settle" for a Diablo version with the Hayabusa motorcycle motor. :p The little open-top roadster is pretty neat, too.

So this car is a hybrid of the compactness of a Jetson's aircar with the feet power of a Flintstones car?

As long as I can go to work in a spotted toga.

-D

There actually is a "relatively" efficient car already.
It's called a smart (http://www.smart.com).
Supposedly it gets around 40 mpg and will do 90mph, but probably not at the same time.
I've seen quite a few in europe, but you can't get one in the US.

yet.

I swear I saw one the other day. If not something just as small.

i definatly saw a smart car at goodwill a few weeks ago.....really cool lookin

here is another cool small personal vehicle...its classified as a motorcycle

http://www.myersmotors.com/

they used be called the sparrow but myers bought them out and renamed it the NMG....stands for No More Gas

its not totally green but its alot closer than a regular car

If a small, fuel-efficient, reliable, long-lasting and inexpensive car were on the market, I'd look at it quite carefully. Unfortunately, I can't seem get all those factors together. There are small, fuel-efficient cars which aren't reliable or long-lasting. There are reliable and durable cars which aren't inexpensive. There are inexpensive cars which aren't nearly as efficient as they should be. Buying a car is about making all sorts of compromises.

Buying a car is about making all sorts of compromises.
That's for sure! This is one reason it felt so good to me to just quit compromising and go with what feels right--not buying a car. :)

The Perfect car already exists - it's my 1968 DeVille convertible.