Judging by the main exhibitions at all the world’s major car shows over the last couple of years, the future of the car looks to be in lightweight materials technology – and electrically powered – whether wholly or in part as with a hybrid vehicle. Pretty much every new car offers better fuel economy, whether it’s through traditional internal combustion engines or alternative power. And with manufacturers ranging from Honda to Toyota making greener models, the reality is future cars will be very eco friendly.

Two things also seem likely to happen in the relatively short-term future:

1. Electric vehicles will become ever smaller and extend their range to ever greater distances between charges.
2. The role of the electric motor in hybrid cars will take on ever more of the load – away from the petrol or diesel fuelled drive.

In other words, these technologies will tend to merge as the technology itself improves – to a point where there is no need for recharging as the (now very small….) conventionally-fuelled engine does sufficient work in recharging – or there is only an occasional need for recharging.

Also – the recharging areas will become far more prevalent – and a lot faster to use. This is already happening in the UK, in response to the numbers of eco cars UK consumers are choosing to purchase. An increasing number of service stations now include recharging points for electric vehicles. It’s easy to imagine convenient power points in parking areas and in hotels and motels etc. – on a pay per rapid charge type of basis.

Then there’s hydrogen fuel and hydrogen fuel cell technology which could yet sweep the entire marketplace depending on how rapidly it evolves. Again, it’s quite possible to envision a future whereby hydrogen fuel cells quickly and effectively recharge the electric cars of tomorrow.

Until then, most of us are stuck with oil-based fuels. But to our children, these look likely to be anathema. And as the demand from China and India for oil continues to grow – any technological advances can’t happen quickly enough for either our pockets or the environment!