The future of the car
With over a billion cars now in existence, is the car culture now at a critical crossroads?
The world's love affair with the car has been a defining feature of the 20th century.
There are more and more of them, a billion cars so far, with projections of there being over two billion cars on the road within two decades, unless consumers and designers decide to embrace an alternative.
So is the car culture now at a critical crossroads?
Will it remain a status symbol we all aspire to, the world over?
And can new car designs, especially for the emerging car markets in India and China, overcome problems of pollution, road safety and over crowding?
Expert opinion from car designer for India, Rohan Saparamadu, Californian transport adviser Professor Daniel Sperling and British authority on social attitudes to travel Professor John Urry.
Illustration by Emily Kasriel; The single-seater car as an office on the road to India's future.
Last on
Chapters
-
Part 1- The evolving car
Duration: 17:06
Cars for India
Duration: 05:54
Part 2 - 60 second idea
Duration: 06:24
Can China avoid Western-style car dependency?
Duration: 11:04
Broadcasts
- Sat 17 Dec 2011 23:05GMT大象传媒 World Service Online
- Sun 18 Dec 2011 02:05GMT大象传媒 World Service Online
- Sun 18 Dec 2011 09:05GMT大象传媒 World Service Online
Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?
Podcast
-
The Forum
The programme that explains the present by exploring the past