Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/309330
(Car illustrations) stesHa Ho s u m m e r 2 0 1 4 | w e s t w o r l d A l b e r t A 67 Cars of the Future They're lean, they're green –but will they be parked in Alberta driveways by 2015? BY TRACY HYATT once upon a time, only celebrities and hard-core environmentalists bought green vehicles. That has started to change, though, as fuel-effi cient technology gets cheaper. But what are the chances that your neighbours will have the latest green tech in their driveways by 2015? We rank the probability of adoption, on a scale of one to fi ve leaves, below. solAr VeHICles: Once confi ned to university engineering competitions, solar-powered vehicles are inching closer to the consumer market. In January, Ford unveiled the C-max solar energi concept car. The hybrid has high-effi ciency solar panels on the roof, which, in combination with a sun-magnifying carport, take seven hours to power the vehicle for about 34 kilometres. An onboard gasoline engine increases the vehicle's range to 1,000 km. But are Albertans willing to wait seven hours for a charge? Or spend extra for an acrylic carport? Likely not. Adoption probability: AlUMINUM VeHICles: This year marked the launch of the aluminum 2015 Ford F-150. The pickup is 15 per cent (318 kg) lighter than previous models. "If you reduce the weight of a vehicle, you don't burn as much fuel to get it moving, so then you can have a smaller engine, " says AmA policy analyst scott Wilson. While automakers such as Jaguar, Land rover and Audi have used aluminum frames for years, "this is the fi rst time that a manufacturer has decided to make such a drastic change to their bestselling and most prominent vehicle, " says Wilson. And in Alberta, a.k.a. F-150 Country, this may just be the tipping point. Adoption probability: All-eleCtrIC VeHICles (eVs): They're going farther these days, but far enough for Albertans? The media darling Tesla model s, which rings in at $80,000-plus, can travel up to 480 km on a single charge. But that's an exception – and a bit pricey for the average buyer. (Less-expensive eVs eke out a more modest average range of around 100 km.) Plus, charging stations are scarce in Alberta. Between Leduc and Airdrie, for instance, there are only a few, according to the CAA charging station locator (caa.ca/evstations). Alberta winter temperatures could also reduce an eV battery's cranking ability by 50 per cent. Adoption probability: W going Clean • ELEMENTS When hybrid vehicles fi rst began hitting the market 10 years ago, fears about battery life kept many consumers from buying. But not AMA: the organization got a 2004 Toyota Prius hybrid hot off the production line, and guess what? The original battery is still going strong, and repair costs have been minimal. "It's just been the regular maintenance required for a vehicle of that age," says AMA policy analyst Scott Wilson. Going Strong: AMA's 2004 Prius Hybrid p60-67EnvironMotoring2.indd 67 14-04-29 9:39 AM