Australian study finds hybrid cars decade’s most important engineering feat
A recent study commissioned by Engineers Australia, finds Australians have identified hybrid cars as the most important global engineering feat of the past decade.
The results show that Australian's consider motoring and environmental issues of considerable concern with over 40 per cent of participants highlighting the development of hybrid vehicle technology as the most impressive recent engineering project.
Another 20 per cent of participants said daily traffic congestion issues and faulting public transport networks were other areas engineers should focus their future attention.
"Engineers have the knowledge and resources to create the technologies that make things so in the community," said director of communications and marketing at Engineers Australia, Mr Jamie Penrose.
"Engineering teams have been integral in working with the motoring industry to present new technologies that have improved every facet of today’s vehicles."
Mark McCrindle, a renowned social commentator who conducted the study on behalf of Engineers Australia, said he agrees with the findings and is pleased that Australians are aware of the bigger picture.
"Australians are realists – they acknowledge cars as a part of everyday life but they are also becoming increasingly aware of the environmental issues that owning a car can bring," said Mr McCrindle.
"Hybrid cars address both of these concerns and therefore are highly valued by Australians,
"Transport has become a necessity in the modern world - the engineering profession will need to continue to assist the sector in providing the Australian public with new technologies and innovations to make daily life that little bit easier."
As part of the study, the Australian public can contribute its own ideas in a world-first competition dubbed "Make it so". The winning entry will be "made so" by a team of engineers.
To date, over 4400 ideas have been submitted including some automotive themed responses that have already been selected as weekly winners:
- Make it so… my remote controlled key lock has a small display with an indicating arrow towards the car's position so that I can find it.
- Make it so… cars can run on solar energy since fuel prices are increasing and global warming is becoming a major problem. "Solar panel like" cars!
- Make it so… that cars can switch on an electromagnetic force when a crash is imminent between two cars, repelling the cars and reducing the impact.
To make an entry yourself, visit www.makeitso.org.au before May 15th.
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