fossil fuels

[nibot]

Supposing that we have already passed the time of peak oil production, my question for you is this: in what year will we see fewer cars on California roads than in the previous year?

At what point will the Interstate Highways be fossil roads, abandoned relics, like the decaying steel towns of Pennsylvania, like the Erie Canal?

When will Phoenix be Detroit?

Or will someone invent the coal-powered car and doom us all? (The plug-in Prius actually burns coal.)

Comments

[surpheon.livejournal.com]

and automobiles could successfully utilize 90% of the energy content of gasoline. i.e. 200mpg's +

That would be awesome, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal (I know it is with a heat engine). Anyone with more recent thermo lessons care to chime in?

200mpg+ is not too out of hand if you're talking a 400 kg car, which Amory Lovins has been flogging for over a decade and Toyota recently achieved as a hybrid concept car (the 1/X). Reduced weight is a great way to get efficiency, and carbon fiber allows you to maintain safety as weight drops.

Oh, and our sugar powered normal cars are prevented by the $0.56 per gallon tariff on imported ethanol from Brazil to protect our precious farmers.

[nibot.livejournal.com]

Other countries have some efficient cars. When will the VW Lupo come to the United States (http://nibot.livejournal.com/620673.html)?