How the automotive industry adapts to global warming

23 June 2010
Posted in Alternative Energy

The history of the automobile has started as far back as 1769 with the institution of a steam powered vehicle capable of transporting masses and or materials. Nevertheless, popularity didn’t genuinely come about until the twentieth century. With this recent popularity, brief worry was given to the pollution made by gas powered cars. These days’ global warming statistics show that cars are the largest culprits to the climate change phenomena.

First Emission Controls

Up until the 1960’s there were virtually no emissions controls enforced on cars. The initial step in keeping in check emissions was the introduction of the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system which rerouted unburned fumes made in the crankcase towards the intake system so all the hydrocarbons could be burned off. By 1961, all cars in America had a PCV systems installed by law.

The second most prevalent asset in an effort to lessen vehicle emissions was the catalytic converter which also required the use of unleaded gas in order to help abate the amount of emissions into the atmosphere. By mid seventies, unleaded gas and catalytic converters were common on all automobiles bought in the U.S. Even though these two creations helped lessen car emissions, they considerably minimized the vehicles performance and raised gas consumption. Climate change was not a front line subject yet.

Changing the Role of the Automobile

Surely the automobile’s purpose has always been to transport masses and stock but in certain parts of the U.S. and the rest of the world, the car has become a must in order to live. Cities are getting bigger and bigger and people must travel further just to get to jobs. Trucking is already the standard of carrying inventory replacing railroads in most cases. People rely on their vehicles as a way to get to work, visit friends and relatives and of course, travel to vacation. Climate change is the front line topic when it comes to saving the environment, so changing how vehicles impact the environment is a key concern for not only people but manufactures too.

Innovations

Now the question still is: how do we get the performance we require and also make sure that the Earth is protected too. The resolution of course is through technological advancement and industry innovation.

Some of the emerging innovations imply designing automobiles which have little or no harmful emission and also have the performance characteristics we need like gas-electric hybrid engines, hydrogen fuel cells and solar have made a lot of head way in the past decade. Major car producers admit the wants of the public to have energy efficient cars and are making new vehicles each year that meet the law's standards for vehicle emissions.

What the Future Holds

With the new “breed” of cars already on the market, we can only guess what the manufacturers have in the design stages. Global warming statistics show} that we must make major changes in the way we work and play; having pollution free cars in the near future holds the answer to humanity's survival.