The engine was revolutionary - allowing the power of vehicles for the masses. As the engines became more and more reliable, suddenly nearly anyone could go anywhere they wanted -- whenever they wanted.
However, the engine wasn't, and still isn't, without its flaws.
For starters, it is remarkably inefficient. Internal Combustion engines only use around forty percent of the energy they produce, and the rest is wasted.
Additionally, they produce massive amounts of emissions, harming our planet. The engines also are immensely complicated, with multiple gears and many, many moving parts. The multitude of moving parts makes combustion engines significantly less reliable.
None of these issues were discussed in the early 1900s, when they were just beginning to be more common. After all, the technology was incredibly advanced for the time, and very efficient compared to other forms of power.
But now we're 100 years ahead of that time, and newer, better power options are available.
Electricity is the future. Electric power requires very few moving parts, making any vehicle powered extremely reliable. Additionally, it's better for the planet.
Not to mention that electricity produces tremendous amounts of torque - allowing for the performance of a multi-million dollar vehicle for a fraction of the price (0-60 in 2.5s for some of the fastest vehicles available to the public).
Thus, just like the 1900s were revolutionized by the internal combustion engine, modern times are being revolutionized by electric power.
I like your point about how electricity is the newer, better power option of the future. 100 years ago, the technology that we have today would be un-imaginable. While electricity seems to be dominant today, how long do you think it will be until there's a new energy source that can outperform electricity?
ReplyDeleteMaybe another century. It's difficult to tell, considering we're still in the transition to electric power now.
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