In an interview with earth2tech, General Motors vice president of the research and development centre Lawrence Burns said that one of the most significant factors in fuel efficiency for cars is the weight of safety features. If technology could produce cars that don't crash, the weight of a 4,000lb car could be cut to as little as 1,500lb - that's about two-thirds of a ton, in metric.
Late braking is a major cause of traffic congestion, so technology can help by giving the driver advance notice of problems. Cruise control is another factor already in use; a GM V8 engine uses double the cylinders from 65mph to 75mph. And on another efficiency point: gas engines are separate from the electrical drivetrain. That means the engine can be optimised to run at a constant speed and because there is no need for transmission, the car's power is consistent.
Burns said the motor industry needs to move to new fuel sources like hydrogen cells and ethanol because "the power grid has surplus power that equals 40% of the miles driven in the US".
After that interview, GM's chief executive Rick Wagoner, in his keynote CES speech, said that by 2012, half the company's cars will use Flex-fuel energy alternatives: "All the factors point to a convergence of the automotive and electronics industries that is literally transforming the automobile."
"One of the next big steps is to connect automobiles electronically to keep them from connecting physically. We are working our way up the technology ladder."
The robot car is on the way - in fact new cars already contain more electronics that steel. And GM will soon announce a plug-in electric car, said Wagoner.
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