21世紀の環境適合型自動車の開発に向けて

抄録

Automobiles made a major contribution to economic development and improved standards of living in the 20th century, and are now indispensable to the conduct of daily life and economic activity.
Despite this success, there have been various negative aspects to automobile use from the outset, including the risk of accidents, burdensome noise levels and harmful exhaust emissions.
The rapid spread of motorization on a global scale in the years following World War II moved such problems into the forefront of social concerns. Beginning in that period, major advances in automotive technologies have focused on increased fuel efficiency (in response, initially, to international oil shortages) and compliance with more and more stringent exhaust emission regulations.
Against this background, the Japanese automobile industry made its first real entrance into the world market around 1970, and thereafter quickly gained significant market share in a number of the industrialized western nations. One eventual outcome of this Japanese expansion was trade conflict, with the consequent shift from export to transplant manufacturing operations. It also led to the creation of strategic global alliances and increased cooperation between automakers and parts suppliers.
Proliferating cooperative ties are, in part, a response to new global environmental concerns that have arisen over recent decades, including the problems of global warming and end-of-life vehicle recycling.
Measures in two basic areas must be taken to resolve these issues. One area of effort focuses on the development and implementation of ITS-Intelligent Transportation Systems-to improve traffic flow and safety, enable greater fuel economy (for increased energy conservation) and reduce vehicle exhaust emissions released into the atmosphere. ITS will also constitute a viable alternative to traditionally costly new road construction during a protracted period of budgetary constraints.
The second and most promising area of effort focuses of the development and market introduction of smaller, lighter vehicles with greater durability and increased recyclability. Included among these are the alternative-fuel vehicles that offer outstanding environmental compatibility-CNG (compressed natural gas), hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles.