The future of vehicle designs? Your thoughts & ideas.

[gone-ot]

...and, when it burned, it attracted 1960's hippies all the way from California, just to "inhale" its fumes (wink,wink).

[Ryland]

The SUV and minivan replaced the station wagon because of loop holes in the EPA regulations and people bought station wagons so they could haul their family around the suburbs because you couldn't walk or bike anywhere, some people still want a vehicle for taking vacations, but does it need to be a daily driven vehicle? the "Ipod generation" as someone else called it tends to be living closer to where they work and not having kids, so a large vehicle ends up being pretty useless, maybe they are on to something?
On the other hand, I keep hearing people refer to the Prius as a "small car" and it blows my mind, the Prius C is in my mind on the large end of being a small car but vehicles like the Prius, and the Nissan Leaf are full size, 4 door, hatch back, station wagons, large enough for a family of 5.

So a big part of my is wondering if making the next generation of vehicles out of hemp, or carbon fiber or whatever is the answer or if a better answer is to first live where you want to be, to plan your life better and to get over the idea of owning a one size fits all vehicle, how many people would get along just fine with a vehicle like a Twike then be part of a car share for those times that you need to use a pickup truck, minivan or take a vacation.

[123]

Hemp or other plant based plastics are better then carbon fiber, when you need more just grow it. Henry Ford's car was 1000 lbs. lighter than a steel equivalent car.

Plus for all the people that drive a prius because its better for the environment a prius would look like an environmental disaster compared to a light weight biodegradable plant based diesel car that runs on hemp or other plant based biofuels.

Ryland I like TWIKES and velomobiles most of their problem is price its cheaper just to buy a used car and by doing so most people wont feel so limited.

I agree people need get over the idea of owning a one size fits all vehicle. My dad is an example of this, drives a full size diesel pickup truck but complains about the cost of driving it.

[kach22i]

By AMY CHOZICK
Published: March 22, 2012
As Young Lose Interest in Cars, G.M. Turns to MTV for Help
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/bu...e&ref=business

.......... many young consumers today just do not care that much about cars.

........There is data to support Mr. Martin’s observations. In 2008, 46.3 percent of potential drivers 19 years old and younger had drivers’ licenses, compared with 64.4 percent in 1998, according to the Federal Highway Administration, and drivers ages 21 to 30 drove 12 percent fewer miles in 2009 than they did in 1995.

Forty-six percent of drivers aged 18 to 24 said they would choose Internet access over owning a car, according to the research firm Gartner.

[ecofreak]

NOTE: The trends listed here only cover the good 'ol USA. You folks outside of the "free world" are much better off.

The trends of today suggest larger wheels, smaller windows proportionate to the rest of the car, and little rear badges to make the emissions smell like roses. I see more automatics, more CVTs, and a shift towards more full-size sedans (or "crossovers" from SUVs. Absolutely no diesel.

Cars of today seem glossy and bloated. The C-pillars of a "subcompact" like the Chevy Cruze are meatier than 80's and 90's Volvo C-pillars, which were absolute tanks of a car. Windshields are low and slung pretty far forward of the driver, which isn't exactly necessary after the invention of safety glass. Automakers seem to be intent on giving more car for the money, more metal and plastic to crumple in case of an accident. This sense of security has given people the liberty of talking on their phones or fooling with the multimedia systems in their cars while in operation of said vehicle.

The only good thing to really come about is the demise of large SUVs. Although, with Ford discontinuing the Ranger, and the new Ranger platform lengthened to full-size elsewhere, it seems apparent that there still is demand for bigger autos.

TL;DR: US auto market intent on giving consumers a car they feel safe in.

[Cd]

To see the future of car design , it seems a good way to guess would be to see what the current generations parents drive and go totally opposite.

[ecofreak]

Originally Posted by Cd

To see the future of car design , it seems a good way to guess would be to see what the current generations parents drive and go totally opposite.

My parents were brought up in Bonnevilles, Wagoneers, and Granadas, and now they drive a Ford Flex (which is basically a Wagoneer made out of lighter steel) and a Mini Cooper S.

I'm not seeing a radical departure from that. All I really see is my generation looking for NEW or LIKE NEW cars.

All of them are even more bitter about fuel prices, considering what a Ford Explorer bites out of a teenager's wallet, recently weaned off of parent's gas money.

[johnunit]

Originally Posted by Ryland

The SUV and minivan replaced the station wagon because of loop holes in the EPA regulations and people bought station wagons so they could haul their family around the suburbs because you couldn't walk or bike anywhere, some people still want a vehicle for taking vacations, but does it need to be a daily driven vehicle? the "Ipod generation" as someone else called it tends to be living closer to where they work and not having kids, so a large vehicle ends up being pretty useless, maybe they are on to something?
On the other hand, I keep hearing people refer to the Prius as a "small car" and it blows my mind, the Prius C is in my mind on the large end of being a small car but vehicles like the Prius, and the Nissan Leaf are full size, 4 door, hatch back, station wagons, large enough for a family of 5.

So a big part of my is wondering if making the next generation of vehicles out of hemp, or carbon fiber or whatever is the answer or if a better answer is to first live where you want to be, to plan your life better and to get over the idea of owning a one size fits all vehicle, how many people would get along just fine with a vehicle like a Twike then be part of a car share for those times that you need to use a pickup truck, minivan or take a vacation.

Around here insurance and in some places parking costs make owning two legal cars very difficult. In my particular situation, insurance costs 350ish a month for the Prius when it's on the road, and 220ish a month for the Crown Victoria. Coverage level, deductible, mileage driven, etc. cut less than 20% of that cost. I'm lucky enough to have a place to store whichever car is not insured at any given time (summer/winter rotation) but if I didn't it'd also add a several hundred dollar monthly parking fee. So realistically, 500+ dollars a month to maintain two cars instead of one. The odds of that being made up by gas costs are pretty low.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by 123

I agree people need get over the idea of owning a one size fits all vehicle. My dad is an example of this, drives a full size diesel pickup truck but complains about the cost of driving it.

Trying to cater for all needs, leads to a vehicle that's way too much influenced by some very occasional uses.

So, I do like the idea of one size fits most needs.
That means a wagon to me.
Does most jobs easily, without the negative effects of a truck.
For those jobs that it can't do, there's the optional trailer.

In 6 years and 100 K miles, the wagon hasn't been able to cope just once: it couldn't swallow a round table top.

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by johnunit

Around here insurance and in some places parking costs make owning two legal cars very difficult.

In areas where there is limited parking there is also often limited need for owning two vehicles! or in my case, I don't park my gas car at my house all of the time, right now it's parked miles away at my parents and if we had a car share program in town I'd think about selling it all together!
My comment about a vehicle not needing to be a daily driven vehicle is that we should be looking at shifting our life styles so we don't have to drive every day and for those times that we do have to drive we barrow, rent or use a car share vehicle, I don't own a pickup truck but I have 5 pickup trucks to choose from depending on my needs so for me to own one would be foolish.