Fareed Zakaria is justifiably enthusiastic about hybrid automobile technology in his article Imagine: 500 Miles Per Gallon. He explains how much of the technology necessary to reach mileage ratings of 500 miles per gallon (MPG) is already available, waiting to be put into use, and how our future cars will be plugged in overnight to recharge the batteries, not unlike our mobile phones and iPods. He says, "Hybrid technology is the answer to the petroleum problem."
But not once does he mention "changing our driving habits" as a complementary option to help reduce fuel consumption. Whether intentional or not, and although the article is about hybrids, this omission reinforces the pro-technology myth that we in the developed world can continue to live our lives of relative luxury (and considerable destructiveness) with a clear conscience, trusting with blind faith that technology will solve our problems.
Solving the "petroleum problem" will not solve the "automobile problem." A 500 MPG hybrid car will not reduce the more than one million annual traffic fatalities world-wide. A 1,000 MPG hybrid car will not reduce congestion and the countless hours wasted in traffic jams. Even a solar-powered car, running on 100% renewable energy, will not reduce the urban sprawl (first made possible by automobiles) and its negative effect on quality of life. And based on current trends in population growth and rising living standards, these problems are likely to get much worse unless we -- individuals and governments -- are willing to rethink how we use cars.
Although "How can technology reduce fuel consumption?" is an important question, a more far-reaching question might be, "What role should the private auto play in the 21st century and beyond?" The answer to the latter question will influence to what extent the existing petrochemical infrastructure needs to be converted for use with renewable fuels, and how much of it can be scrapped.
Progressive cities like Bogotá, Copenhagen and Washington D.C. are already leading the way. Their urban planners are offering transportation alternatives such as bike lanes and convenient and affordable public transport. They are reintroducing parks, shops and pedestrian zones in neglected downtown areas, making it attractive to live there again, and thus lowering commute traffic. These cities are addressing the "automobile problem" by reducing -- or eliminating -- the need for private automobiles.
Hybrid technologies will undoubtedly play an important role in filling our energy needs. But simply replacing today's cars with hi-tech hybrid equivalents will not resolve the mounting societal and environmental pressures caused by private autos.
The car of the future is not a plug-in hybrid. The car of the future is a train. And a bus. And a bicycle.
