NOVA | Car of the Future | Watch the Program

watch chapter 1 in
QuickTime
Windows Media: hi | low

HITTING THE ROAD

Projections suggest that by 2050 there will be two billion vehicles on the world's roads, two and a half times as many as there are today. The "Car Talk" duo, brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hit the road in search of the car of the future.
running time 8:16

watch chapter 2 in
QuickTime
Windows Media: hi | low

HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS

Iceland, with a thousand times fewer people and cars than the U.S., has introduced the world's first hydrogen-fueled public buses in an effort to curb dependence on imported oil.
running time 6:40

watch chapter 3 in
QuickTime
Windows Media: hi | low

TOWARDS BIOFUELS

Tom and Ray look at possible new ways to make ethanol. Such "biofuels" have much lower greenhouse-gas emissions but, critics say, come at a cost.
running time 6:34

watch chapter 4 in
QuickTime
Windows Media: hi | low

FRONTIERS OF EFFICIENCY

Engines have become more fuel-efficient over the years, but that efficiency has been channeled into more powerful vehicles rather than improving fuel economy.
running time 11:13

watch chapter 5 in
QuickTime
Windows Media: hi | low

PLUGGING IN

Can the next generation of hybrid cars cause an energy revolution by allowing us to plug into the grid? Vehicles powered from power plants could substantially reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
running time 10:22

watch chapter 6 in
QuickTime
Windows Media: hi | low

TAKING ACTION

To make the switch to more Earth-friendly vehicles, we need more than visionary thinkers and eco-conscious consumers, experts say. We need concerted government action.
running time 7:07