Survey on Gasoline and the Future

[Schlotzky]

This is for a research paper. I'm just looking for your opinions on the following questions and the ultimate question in the poll. These are all what you THINK, so don't worry if you have no background info. Comments and discussions are fine, but I'd just ask that you answer the questions first.

1. Poll question:: How long do you think gasoline will be the primary means of fuel for the automotive industry?
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2. Are hybrid vehicles (Gas/Electric specifically) leading us into the future (i.e. will most if not all autos transition through hybrid to the next fuel), or simply buying time to introduce the next main fuel? [In other words, are hybrids important to the long-term development of automotive power-trains?]
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3. What will the next main power source be? (some current examples of fully or partially viable sources are compressed air, electricity via batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol, etc.)
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4. [For grouping purposes] What is your vehicle bias: Foreign, Domestic, or Unbiased.

[fredjacksonsan]

Originally Posted by Schlotzky

Poll question:: How long do you think gasoline will be the primary means of fuel for the automotive industry?

10-15 years. Other technologies are coming fast, but it will take time, plus the oil industry won't move on new technologies until they are cheaper than oil to produce.

Originally Posted by Schlotzky

Are hybrid vehicles (Gas/Electric specifically) leading us into the future (i.e. will most if not all autos transition through hybrid to the next fuel), or simply buying time to introduce the next main fuel? [In other words, are hybrids important to the long-term development of automotive power-trains?]

I think hybrid is an intermediate step; I'm sure that the oil monopoly has a new technology ready to go to replace hydrocarbons.

Originally Posted by Schlotzky

What will the next main power source be? (some current examples of fully or partially viable sources are compressed air, electricity via batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol, etc.)

Ethanol is a possibility, and biodiesel from algae shows promise - if nothing more, to extend the fuels we have now. A major airline has recently tested this algae biofuel in a real jet - no passengers - and it worked just as well and was more efficient than jet fuel.

Originally Posted by Schlotzky

[For grouping purposes] What is your vehicle bias: Foreign, Domestic, or Unbiased.

I've always owned domestic vehicles, simply because foreign ones did not have enough headroom for me. But that has changed so I will likely reconsider on my next purchase.

[ericn1300]

1. More than 15 years
My newest vehicle is 14 years old now and the oldest 60 years. The cars being built today are even better and will still be on the road 15 to 20 years from now.

2. Hybrid vehicles being built today aren't true hybrids, the gas/electrics are truly a gas vehicle with some mods. If you run out of gas they don't work.

3. Electricity via batteries
until electricity via hydrogen fuel cells becomes a reality.

4. My Bias is cheap and reliable

[RahX]

I have to disagree with your #2 eric. Honda and maybe a few of the others fit into your description but the Prius an electric car with a gasoline battery charger. Any hybrid relies on one of its halves for the other so I would say the term hybrid is applicable to any of them.