自动驾驶汽车有望破解石油危机

    现在福特（Ford）推出的全新中级车Fusion重量为3,427磅，在城区道路上每加仑燃油可行驶22英里，高速公路上为34英里。而丰田（Toyota）的雅力士（Yaris）车重还不到2,300磅，城区道路上每加仑燃油可行驶30英里，高速公路上为37英里。

    换言之，为车减重1,000磅左右意味着每年燃油消耗可减少90加仑。由电池驱动的更小更轻的车辆将可以行驶更长的里程。可以预计，未来的中级车将不再需要现在所用的大量加强钢材，而正是这些钢材才能让车辆通过联邦政府的碰撞测试。轻量化的材料将取代钢材。汽车甚至不再需要用安全气囊或大量安全配置来保护乘客和司机遭遇事故时的安全。

    不过，汽车企业首先必须证明，自动和半自动驾驶系统——有时候也叫“辅助驾驶系统”——确实能显著降低事故率和伤亡率。目前，美国每年发生约35,000起各类事故。因此，只有“超级巡航”这类系统变得更普及时，才有可能达到这个效果。

    译者：清远

    Today's Ford (F) Fusion midsize sedan, which weighs 3,427 pounds, achieves fuel economy of 22 miles per gallon in the city, 34 miles per gallon on the highway. A Toyota (TM) Yaris, at just under 2,300 pounds, gets fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon in the city, 37 miles per gallon on the highway.

    In other words, reducing a car's weight by 1,000 pounds or so translates into almost 90 gallons less fuel burned annually. Smaller, lighter vehicles powered by batteries would feature longer range than today. Presumably, future midsize sedans wouldn't need much of the reinforcing steel that today helps a car pass federal crash tests. Lighter materials might replace steel. The vehicle wouldn't need airbags or much of the safety paraphernalia that keeps passengers and driver safe in the event of a collision.

    First, however, automakers must prove that autonomous and semi-autonomous systems -- sometimes called "assisted driving" -- can reduce drastically the number of accidents and fatalities, now numbering about 35,000 a year in the U.S. That's only likely to happen as features like Super Cruise become more common.