| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (53 min. 17 sec.) ; 323596684 bytes |
| Summary |
If you put all of the cars in the world bumper to bumper, they would circle the Earth about 100 times. Presently, over 95% of America's transport system is fuelled by Petroleum and despite concerns about its limited supply and the damage it causes to the environment, Petroleum is still being used it at an accelerating rate. Car of the Future is a light hearted documentary hosted by the wacky brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi, who consider some of the more serious implications of our reliance on Petroleum. It's not all doom and gloom though, and Car of the Future reveals some of the modern designs and ideas currently being tested by governments, car manufacturers and scientists, who are working towards creating a car which better meets the needs of the future.In their quest to find the perfect car of the future, the two brothers go everywhere from the glitzy, high-octane North American International Auto Show in Detroit to the more earnest do-it-yourself approach of the AltWheels Festival in Boston. The brothers also speak to the scientists researching alternative fuels, such as Lee R Lynd from Mascoma Corporation, who has been researching the possibility of using Ethanol for 20 years. Mr Lynd says "It's really not much of a question [Ethanol] is a good motor fuel, the question is how inexpensively can we make it and how much of it can we make." The brothers also road test some rather interesting modern vehicles, such as the $90,000 sports car from Telsa Motors, which is fuelled from an ordinary electrical outlet and can run for 250 miles on just one charge. But which new technology will take off as the standard car of the future? Will it be powered by hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol or battery? Or will it be none of these? Despite current attempts to find a sustainable solution to car design, some experts remain sceptical about whether or not society is truly prepared to make the switch. (From the US, in English) (Documentary) |
| Event |
Broadcast 2010-06-08 at 19:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Automobile industry and trade -- Forecasting.
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Automobiles -- Design and construction.
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Biomass energy -- Research.
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Electric automobiles -- Design and construction.
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Energy conservation -- Technological innovations.
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Petroleum industry and trade -- Energy consumption.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Albertsson, Albert, contributor
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Eberhard, Martin, contributor
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Frank, Andrew, contributor
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Greene, David L., contributor
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Heywood, John B., contributor
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Lithgow, John, cast
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Lovins, Amory B., contributor
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Lowery, Beth, contributor
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Lynd, Lee R., contributor
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Magliozzi, Ray, host
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Magliozzi, Tom, host
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Posawatz, Anthony, contributor
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Romm, Joseph, contributor
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Seamans, Joe, director
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Jon Bjorn Skulason, contributor
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White, Joseph B., contributor
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Williams, Terrence, contributor
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