Automobiles of the future and the role of automatic control in those systems

The level of individual mobility of any society is intimately related to its affluence. Obviously, well-developed public and private transportation systems offer many benefits, but cause relevant problems as well. This article focuses on automobiles and on two closely related problems, i.e., the emission of carbon dioxide and the consumption of primary energy resources. A comprehensive description of the current situation is given and some of the most important options available for future improvements are described, highlighting the role that automatic control systems can play in this development.