Smart Phone Technology and the Future of Transportation

Not surprisingly, Google and Apple have all kinds of ideas regarding how smart phone technology will interact with the cars of the future; together they have literally hundreds of patents in this space.

Not to sound cavalier, but the only concepts in automotive engineering that really mean anything are those related to breaking the relationship with fossil fuels.  Obviously that means using less (and ultimately zero) petroleum, but it also means electric vehicles that are not charged by coal-fired power plants.

This, in turn, means a few things:

• Ever-improving fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks with internal combustion engines

• Clever new drive trains, like #22 on my list of clean energy investment opportunities

• Information and communication technology for EVs that enables them to charge predominantly with renewables resources

• All the other good ideas surrounding a cutting-edge approach to transportation: mass transit, ride-sharing, micro-rentals, e-bikes (e.g., #3 on that list), etc.

Best wish to Google, Apple, and the others in this space.  Go for it!