tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post5621040803669559724..comments2024-01-11T07:40:01.736-05:00Comments on The Stopped Clock: Non-Creative DestructionAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523334580402022332noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post-55107648099937553812009-06-05T07:54:31.113-04:002009-06-05T07:54:31.113-04:00Concur re: really small/underpowered cars being b...Concur re: really small/underpowered cars being better suited for city than higway travel . . . but on the other hand, metropolitan areas are better suited to mass transit than rurual/suburban ones and may wind-up being areas where we see less of "any" type of car in the future.<br /><br />Will we wind-up with more of a "two class" system with "city only" cars vs. cruising sedans? As gas keeps going up, it will be interesting to see what happens.<br /><br />ChrisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post-64073456172143403462009-06-04T02:39:30.794-04:002009-06-04T02:39:30.794-04:00interestingly, those teeny tiny Smart Cars are qui...interestingly, those teeny tiny Smart Cars are quite popular in San Francisco, where parking is at a premium. At city speeds, safety is less of an issue.mythagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07138471078836187498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post-65814205761681089112009-06-03T13:27:54.759-04:002009-06-03T13:27:54.759-04:00You're right - I wasn't clear enough. I me...You're right - I wasn't clear enough. I mean that auto makers (or companies that want to succeed them as the dominant providers of transportation technology) need to be looking for a transcendent technology, not merely an update to the status quo. It's possible, though, that the transcendence will come in the drivetrain, not in the general look and feel of a car, just as we went from having horse-drawn carriages to having internal combustion engines.<br /><br />I could joke, maybe we'll have horse-drawn cars. But I'm not sure that would be funny.<br /><br />There are ways to build SUV's that are a lot lighter than the present generation of vehicles, but the technology and materials are more costly (and are also the subject of anticipatory patents - you may have to pay somebody to license the technology).Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523334580402022332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post-74723958546573790362009-06-03T07:22:56.489-04:002009-06-03T07:22:56.489-04:00All of the options in your last paragraph are stil...All of the options in your last paragraph are still "cars" they just happen to be cars with a different power source.<br /><br />Actually, given the rise of the "middle class" in China, India, and elsewhere, it will be interesting to see what the future international market for cars looks like. <br /><br />Will we see "export only" (or locally produced) US automobiles that are smaller, lighter, cheaper, much less "green", and less safe than the US market would stand?<br /><br />The divergent design requirements of "safety" and "fuel economy" are going to make for some interesting choices domestically as well. If you want to maximize the milage or the performance of your hybrid/ele ctric/whatever automobile you need to make it small and light . . . not things that sell well in the US historically (See SUV and Full Size Truck . . .)<br /><br />CWDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com