In any case, that’s what the US Energy Information Agency says. It has just published a study on the global car fleet. This teaches us that 1.3 billion cars circulate Earth, and that this number should grow to 2.2 billion in 2050. Growth will mainly take place in emerging countries. Regarding thermal vehicles, the peak would have been reached in 2020 in OECD countries, and since then it has continued to decline. The decline will not be seen until 2038 globally. And if the share of so-called “plug-in” vehicles, whether hybrid and electric, is 0.7% worldwide today, it would reach 31% according to the agency in 2050.
Bad news for those who run on Diesel: the AdBlue additive costs more.
Due to the rise in gas prices, ammonia producers reduced production. However, it is an essential element for the manufacture of AdBlue, an additive which mixes with diesel in diesel models which use SCR catalysis, a technology which makes it possible to eliminate nitrogen oxides more effectively. Suddenly, AdBlue sees its price increase. And it is not excluded that this product will run out. In Europe, Slovakia secured an order for 500,000 liters for road transport. Because it is a product that is used above all for trucks. Without this additive, recent Diesel simply could not start. But, we are not there yet …
Braking will become smarter …
This is the promise of Brembo, an Italian brand that equips Ferrari and Porsche in particular. The manufacturer hopes to revolutionize the field of braking, thanks to its brand new technology called Sensify. To optimize rotors, calipers and pads, it uses algorithms and data management software to improve the driver experience. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it will be possible to push the limits of what is possible with a braking system and to customize the response of the brakes according to the driving style. The solution is expected from 2024.
And then, a clever concept that could appeal to those who have trouble parking.
An Israeli start-up, City Transformer, has designed a small retractable city car. Similar to a Renault Twizy, this cart is only 2.5 meters long and 1.4 meters wide. But, we can save space, thanks to a mechanism which retracts the wheels and the chassis. On arrival, the vehicle is only one meter wide and allows parking in very narrow spaces. This is not the first time that this concept has been explored. But, the start-up seems to be able to market this vehicle by the end of 2022, first in Israel. City Transformer then wants to export its model to Europe.