In recent years there have been dramatic advances in many related fields: materials, microelectronics, software, motors, electricity-storage devices, fuel cells. Integrating these advances into automobiles offers exciting new possibilities. But to exploit them fully requires new ways of thinking about automotive design.
Making cars more efficient is a matter of minimizing energy losses. Computer modeling and research of technical developments by RMI's transportation research staff suggests that the best way to do this is through a combination of:
These are the four basic ingredients of a Hypercar® vehicle. Separately, these features have both advantages and drawbacks. But combining all of them in a whole-system approach captures impressive synergies, multiplying the benefits and overcoming the disadvantages. The results is vehicles that are 3–5 fold more fuel-efficient than comparable current models, yet are as good or better in every other respect.
