For over 100 years man has relied on the motor vehicle for his main form of transport. Without it life would be very different. What many don't realise is the car is only useful as long as there is petroleum. Without petrol the car becomes useless, a waste of space, money and resources.
Each and every DAY 80 000 000 000 litres of oil are being moved across the oceans of the planet.
There are 500 000 000 cars on the planet and each day these consume 4.8 000 000 000 litres of petrol and as a result 4 000 000 000 litres of polluting gas such as CO2 are spewed into atmosphere the air that you breathe.
Since the 70's many alternatives have been put forward in order to try to be somewhat more "socially responsible". The alternatives include solar power, electrical power,gas , hybrids and many more. Most of these have seen little, if any, success due mainly to the influence and power of the oil companies and many people's lack of willingness to change for socially responsible reasons-and it can be expensive when compared to the traditional combustion engine.
The day of dread has arrived. All oil reserves have been used. No matter how much money is offered there is no oil or petrol for any cause , country or reason. Many people see the world as doomed-except you.
You , being the bright , creative and thrill seeking person you are see this as an opportunity to show the rest of the world how clever you are - especially when (if you succeed ) you'll be paid $10 000 000(MONOPOLY)
You need to design and build a model of a transport vehicle that can be presented to the government of Australia in order to show the rest of the world that Australia is the "clever country". If your design is successful, (besides the money) you'll be known as the saviour of the Western World.
Following are some sites that you must investigate in order for you to succeed at your tasks. Remember your vehicle needs to be practical - as it needs to replace the car of today. So keep in mind :
1) Size of the vehicle its length, weight and most importantly how many people can it carry.
2) The cost factor; too dear and people won't buy it and you will fail to save us!
3) The "cool" factor- nobody wants an ugly car!!!!
4) Where does the "fuel" come from, is it easy to use, transport and is it safe for people ??
5) Is the fuel "enviro" friendly , sustainable or renewable . What good is a fuel that will run out like oil?!!
6) BE ORIGINAL AND HAVE FUN!!!
THESE ARE THE SITES YOU WILL NEED TO USE....
The Veggie
Van
Solar Cars
Driving
electric vehicles
Sustainable Transportation
Fuel
types
Electric
cars
Electric Vehicles
To make your task easier you'll find that included is a WORKSHEET . This sheet is designed to help you rank the various types of fuels on the criteria of :
1) how expensive it is to install and run
2) how environmentally friendly is it, ie, does it cause pollution, is it a "clean" fuel?
3) is it a practical method? This looks at range of car before refueling, how long is refueling etc.
4) is the fuel a renewable or an inexhaustible type?
From this you will be able to design a car that best meets the needs of people and the criteria.