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Looking to the future: A few examples of tomorrow’s ultra-efficient vehicles – Part Two: The reasonable vehicle
On TDI Curious, we try to explore current avenues of responsible mobility, whether it is new fuels, low-consumption vehicles, or alternative forms of individual transportation. Until now, we have focused mainly on popularizing what is happening today, but we haven’t yet covered the extremely interesting subject of low-consumption vehicles, which are certain to show up on roads in the very near future. I have three examples to offer you.
In a previous post, we looked at the inline two-seater vehicle.
In this post, I will introduce the reasonable vehicle, which is more conventional, but its design favours energy efficiency by eliminating the traditional reserve of excess power, a huge gas guzzler.
Coming soon, I will discuss the last but not the least of the three vehicles: the frugal sports car.
These few examples of automotive frugality might make you smile, but I think their arrival is only a matter of time. Ten or 15 years from now, given the recent awareness of environmental problems, we should expect to see more of these low-consumption individual transport vehicles. So what do you think? Which of these “cars of the future” gets your nod?
The reasonable vehicle
Another interesting avenue could be a vehicle with limited performance – say a top speed of 120 km/h – but which still offers seating for four plus cargo space. This approach has been explored numerous times before, the best examples being those popular European vehicles of the 1950s and 60s – and the very best being the Citroën 2CV. There is an interesting story about this car: during its conception, a young designer proposed a body with a highly aerodynamic design that would allow its tiny engine to reach greater speeds. But the top Citroën boss rejected the idea and asked the designer to rethink his version with less sleek aerodynamics. Why? Because higher speeds would require better brakes, wider tires, a more solid suspension to support those tires, better windshield wipers, more advanced soundproofing, etc. All this would make the car heavier and that would require a larger engine, and a sturdier gearbox. Which, of course, would further weigh down the car. Talk about a vicious cycle.
So, if a manufacturer showed up with a vehicle that had voluntarily limited performance, but with a comfort level comparable to that of a normal vehicle, there would be huge gains to be made in terms of weight and complexity. I already drove such a vehicle a few years ago: French car maker Renault had just launched the Modus, a car that was shorter than the Golf, but whose increased height allowed it to accommodate five passengers. This very light car had a small 1.2-litre 75 hp gas engine, but it also came with automatic air conditioning, leather seating, rain-sensing wipers, a gigantic sunroof, discharge headlamps, heated seats, and all the modern driving aides: ABS, ESP, ASR. On the highway, the Modus has no problem keeping up with traffic and can reach 130 km/h, the maximum speed allowed on French highways.
This type of vehicle seems futuristic only here in North America, that’s for sure. But it looks like it will probably show up one day, as soon as buyers are ready to choose efficiency and compactness without sacrificing comfort and luxury. Are you ready for it?
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