TristanTolani

DebraDagher
UWRT1102
22May2015

DoubleEntryJournal
Citation:Ulrich,L."TheGreeningoftheSupercar."IeeeSpectrum.47.10(2010):3641.Print.

Source:Quote(Page#orParagraph#)

Responses

Somedaysoontherewillbeanaffordable
andcleverelectricvehiclethatwillconquer
theworld,astheModelTandVolkswagen
Beetledidintheirday.36

ThisisaverydifferentperspectivethanwhatI
havepreviouslyread.Butthisarticlehasme
moreinterestedinthehybridsidesinceits
aboutsuper/hypercars.

Foryears,sportscarmakershaveoffered
preciselythatdefenseoftheirguzzling:
Theseexclusivecarssellinsuchtiny
quantitiesandaredrivensolightly,as
weekendtoysthattheirenvironmental
impactisnegligible.38

Prettysoon,thesecarmakersarenolonger
goingtobeabletousethisexcuse.Itwill
longerbeacceptableasthegovernments
aroundtheworldtightenthereinsonallauto
makers.Idontreallyunderstandthatthough,
itstruethatmostofthesecarsdontseemuch
action.

Inthelongrun,wereeithergoingtorun
outofoilorthepricewillgoup
dramatically,saysFrankVanMeel,headof
electromobilitystrategyforAudi.38

Ialsoreadsomethingthatwasdifferentthan
thisviewaswell.Itwasmorealongthelines
ofhowweprobablywillnevergetridof
internalcombustion.

Peacheyinsiststhatsportscarbuilders
couldbeeffectivelylegislatedoutofexis
tenceiftheydonthybridizeorotherwise
greentheirlineups.38

Thisisterrifying,butunderstandable.Iknow
thosecompaniesdontwanttoshuttheir
doors,sotheyhavenochoiceatthispoint.

FerrarichairmanLucadiMontezemolosaid IwouldlovetoownarealFerrari,butit
recentlythateverycarinFerrarislineupwill lookslikebuyinganewonecouldbealmost
adopthybridtechnologywithinthreetofive impossiblebythattime.

years.

Multipleelectricmotorsallowtorque
vectoringindependentcontrolofthe
drivespeedofeachindividualwheelto
improvecornering,stability,andsafety
withnoneedofcomplexmechanicalor
hydraulicdifferentialstodivvythepower
amongthewheels(BMWandothermanu
facturersarealreadyapplyingtorque
vectoringtotheirgasolinepoweredall
wheeldrivecars).40

Itscooltoseethatthereissomebenefittothis
upcomingtechnology.Iguessourfuture
dreamcarswillhandlealittlebetter,ormaybe
notiftheydontfigureoutwhattodowithall
theextrabatteryweight.

Emissionsstandardsarechanging,andthe
governmentsoftheworldarecomingdown
hardonallautomobiles,evenonesmadein
smallnumbers.

Whenwilleverythingfinallycometogether
andcauseacollapseinthegasolinepowered
carworld.FromothersourcesthatIveread,I
thoughtwehadplentyoftimetostillenjoy
realcars.

Gearheadsmayworrythattoday'sspeed
merchantswillbeshackledbyenvironmental
demands,justastheoriginal'60smusclecars
weredriventoextinctionbythefirstever
emissionsrules.40

Butlookwhathappenedtothemusclecars.
Theenvironmentputthemoutforawhilebut
nowthey'reback,andevenmorepowerful.
Forexamplefordoffersa4cylindermustang
thatputsoutmorehorsepowerthantheearlier
modelsandthesameastheirS197V8model.

Anoptimistmightgatherthatthere's
nothingtofear:FerrarisandCorvetteswill
stillbedukingitout,goingfasterand
handlingbetterthanever.40

Thisisalreadythereality.Porschesnewest
modelthe918,justsettherecordforfastest
streetlegalcarlaparoundtheNrburgring.I
havenofearofthefutureaslongasthecars
continuetoachievebetterperformance.

UnderacontroversialEuropean
Notreallysurethespecificsofhowthiswould
Commissionplan,newcarsinEuropemay translatetompg,butImsureitsatough
berequiredby2015tomeetastrictfleetwide standard.
averageof130gramsofcarbondioxideper
kilometerdriven.38
BecauseCO2emissionsarearemorseless
functionofhowmuchfuelyouburn,theEU
targetmeansthatagasolinecarwouldneed
toconsumejust5.1L/100km,orachieve46
mpg.38

Thisisveryhighstandard,evenformost
normalvehicles,andtryingtogetasupercarto
matchthatsoundsalmostimpossible.Ifeel
likethisisaridiculousnumbertoforceupon
vehicles.

Yetafastcarfanmightask:Inaworld
steamingwithemissionsfromcoalfired
powerplantsandhundredsofmillionsof
cars,whocaresifaLamborghiniguzzles
gasolinemoregreedilythanaCitron?38

Honestlythough?Whataboutpowerplants
andalloftheotherthingsintheworldthat
haveanevengreaterimpact?Imsureyou
couldmakethemmoreefficient.Public
transportandtractortrailerscouldbe
reworkedaswell.

"Theemissionsmaybearelativedropinthe
ocean,yetlegislatorsaresayingwe'regoing
totaxyouuntilithurts,andaboveacertain
emissionslevel,youjustwon'tbeabletosell
thecar,"hesays.38

Beingovertaxedandfinedcouldleadtothe
lossofacompany.Impositivethata
companywouldneverwanttogounder,soI
assumetheywilldoalltheycan.

(Notetocollectors:Now'sthetimetobuyup IwishIhadthemoneytobuyupthesefuture
thesoontobe"classic"gasburningmodels.) classics.Thisjustmeanswhenmytime
38
comes,Iwillprobablyhavetopaytwoto
threetimesmorethanoriginalcost.