I’m curious, what specific advances in scientific knowledge have aided the recent automotive engineering advances? Or is it more that evolving stricter regulations is the catalyst to utilizing long known science/engineering that was not previously cost effective under more lax regulations?
@Marnet - the full integration of computer controls of engine and transmission has helped both power and economy, and computer simulation of the car body strength in crashes has improved safety. Are there particular advances you’re wondering about?
@texases I was just wondering in general. I had assumed much of it is based on computer advances but not sure how much compared to any other engineering advances.
No disrespect, Mike, but I always laugh when I hear someone referring to nuclear power as a “green” power source. It produces radioactive waste with a half-life of 24,000 years. And the useful life of a nuclear plant is rated at 20 years, which means it will then need to be replaced with another site or some other source. It is not a continuously regenerative site. Those sites still operating past that operating life rating are on extensions… “borrowed time”.
To me, nuclear power is the absolute least “green” power source there is. It’s the only one the site of which and the waste of which cannot be cleaned up for numerous thousands of years, and it’s the only one the site of which cannot be used for power generation indefinitely regardless of how much money is dumped into it… or for any other purpose either.
MB…that wasn’t me who was saying nuclear was green…that was Docnick. I was just quoting him…then showed a link where a fairly new breakthrough in Solar technology called Hypesolar…using Solar energy to break apart hydrogen atoms from water.
Sorry Mike. My bad.
Doc, no offense meant. I just never considered nuclear power to be “green”.
I’m not familiar with this new process developed by HyperSolar, and would need to learn a lot more about it. I read the link, and it sounds like it might have promise.
If you are stuck in a snowatorm for a couple of days on the NY Thruway South or East of Buffalo how are you going to stop from freezing to death with an electric car? No way a fully charged electric car can keep you warm as long as even 1/2 a tank of gas.
It would be worse to be traveling by motorcycle in a snow storm, one must chose an appropriate vehicle.
In December of 2011 my son decided that a motorcycle would be his only mode of transportation. In June I was helping him find a car, it is 100F plus during the summer and no shade on a motorcycle.
I have a son in law that decided to commute the 14 mile round trip to his job in Buffalo one year by motorcycle. He chose his 360 Bultaco enduro bike and spiked the tires with short sheet metal screws. No problem riding a motorcycle here, we have never had 100 and many years don’t hit 90.
I have known some that rode motorcycles 12 months, during the summer they ride to work at 7 AM and in the evening at 7 PM when there is minimal sun exposure.
Point is there are places suitable for electric cars and places that are not.
oldtimer 11If you are stuck in a snowatorm for a couple of days on the NY Thruway South or East of Buffalo how are you going to stop from freezing to death with an electric car? No way a fully charged electric car can keep you warm as long as even 1/2 a tank of gas.
By being dressed for the weather or having survival clothing with you in the car at all times. Even gasoline cars can use up all their fuel when trapped for a couple of days.
“specific advances in scientific knowledge” ?
I’d cite two: Large cheap ICs that allow computer control of engines, and battery advances (lithium-ion, NiMH, etc)
A lot of the technical advances are behind the scenes, in the factories that build cars. In the old days there was no such thing as CNC machining, lost foam casting, etc. Today we can mass produce combustion chamber shapes that would have been impractical to mass produce in the older days.
Ah. Scurrying to look up what CNC machining and lost foam casting are. 
When my brother-in-law was plant manager for Chryco…they were one of the first companies to use 3D-Printing. This was over 30 years ago. The printers cost well over $500,000 back then. They were able to mock up many parts to see how they’d fit and look.
The printers cost well over $500,000 back then
And now you can build a small 3-D printer at home for $300! With ABS plastic material, you can actually use those parts instead of just making mockups. Wonderful technology refined over many years.
My first engineering jobs the computer we used cost over $1Million.
The chip in my IPhone 5s is measurably more powerful…with far more memory.
Well…I guess electric cars could use the old adage from Rolls Royce. They don’t break down or run out of gas…they just “fail to proceed.”
B.L.E. , all I can tell you is that no one here in the metro ares of a million people does that. The only people that I know that own warm enough clothes to survive in a car without hear for 24 hours are snowmobilers and possibly hunters. If you were dressed warmly enough you would not be able to stand driving in a closed up car. What we do do is keep our fuel tanks above 1/2 all winter.
B.L.E. , all I can tell you is that no one here in the metro ares of a million people does that. The only people that I know that own warm enough clothes to survive in a car without hear for 24 hours are snowmobilers and possibly hunters. If you were dressed warmly enough you would not be able to stand driving in a closed up car. What we do do is keep our fuel tanks above 1/2 all winter.
I never said you had to wear those emergency clothes while driving, just keep some in the car at all times so you have something warm to wear should the worst happen. Don’t rely on your car’s heater for survival if you are stranded in a snowstorm.
I’m not saying that keeping the tank nearly full isn’t a good idea, just have enough clothes so you don’t have to rely on a running engine and heater for survival.
A few warm blankets are a good idea also.