Where will the car of the future come from? Detroit, which fumbled the electric automobile and let Japan grab the lead in hybrids?
Not likely. Instead, try NASA, MIT’s Media Lab or Silicon Valley, where the sizzling, battery-powered Tesla Roadster debuted last summer. New technology that promises to revolutionize the automobile as we know it is emerging from research institutions and startups — and these innovations won’t set you back $100,000 like a Tesla will …
… Others are looking to revolutionize the automobile’s engine, not replace it.
The radical new design of the Scuderi power plant splits the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine in two, compressing air in one chamber, then shooting it into a combustion chamber where it’s mixed with gas and ignited. The Massachusetts startup’s design allows recovered braking energy to be stored as compressed air. It also creates a highly efficient combustion environment, promising to double gas mileage while drastically reducing tailpipe emissions …
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