ARTICLE
Like everything else on this crazy planet, the world of transportation is changing at a rapid pace. And it’s changing in ways that only a science fiction movie could have imagined in the past. It’s clear that while most of us go about our daily business, those in the world of transportation are creating vehicles that can and will do things only George Jetson experienced. At the Chamber’s recent transportation summit, what we heard was truly amazing. The future of travel is evolving rapidly right before our very eyes. Driverless vehicles are being tested and improved at a breakneck pace. Alternate fuel vehicles like electric and hydrogen are improving daily. Brands are introducing fleet leases, where customers can have access to several cars instead of purchasing or leasing one particular vehicle. I can remember as a kid, my dad would take us down Tilghman Street in Allentown on a fall evening. We would stop by multiple car dealers to see, touch and smell the newly revealed models for the upcoming year. The new model revealing period was a big deal back then, and people flocked to see what changes were made to their favorite model. The beauty of the new cars lining the showroom was surreal. Shiny Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, Chevys and Dodges cluttered the showroom — waiting to fulfill someone’s dreams of a better life. With each car door I opened and driver’s seat I sat in, a new fantasy unfolded in my heightened imagination. I dreamed of owning one of those beautifully appointed new automobiles one day. I dreamed of one day driving a freshly waxed, bright yellow, 1960 Chevelle SS on the Hamilton Street circuit. Back then, kids would drive up and down the main streets of their city and proudly show off their car. It was a right of passage and a nightly, summer ritual. With every deep breath, the wonderful smell of success filled my brain. I remember lots of shiny chrome in those days, and things like power windows and air conditioning were big time upgrades. Many cars in those days were loud and fast — like the most beautiful rocket ship you’d ever imagined. I can’t write this piece without mentioning that new car smell. There was — and still is to a degree — nothing like that new car smell. New cars today have a great odor, but I’m sorry, nothing comes close to the first whiff we got in those days. I’d skip away from my dad and brothers and jump in one the new cars, close the door and inhale. With every deep breath, the wonderful smell of success filled my brain. Car companies are expanding their fleets with unconventional alternatives to gasoline that mean no more stopping at gas stations to fill up. Now people are plugging in and using alternative fuels to go further and more efficiently. Trexlertown’s Air Products has taken the lead in developing the hydrogen infrastructure required for the future push of hydrogen cars, which run cleaner and quieter than traditional automobiles. Researchers estimate that 90 percent of passenger vehicles could be electric by 2040. PPL Electric studied the future demand of hybrid and electric vehicles on their system and went a step further to update business vehicles and trucks with battery-operated power. This push does not stop with passenger vehicles. Our public transportation systems are using innovative technologies and alternative fuels to utilize Pennsylvania resources. Public buses are switching to vehicles capable of running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which is clean and economical. LANTA already has updated its fleet with 20 CNG buses and will continue to add more every year going forward. The aviation industry is working on several game-changing initiatives that could find their way into aircraft and airports like our very own Lehigh Valley International Airport over the next 10 years. Work is underway on electric propulsion aircraft and the use of biofuels in commercial aircraft. The use of biometrics also will alter the airport experience: Fingerprints and facial recognition may be used for automated check-in and may replace the use of boarding passes. And don’t forget drones. These unmanned aircraft systems are small and maneuverable, which allows operations close to people and structures. From infrastructure inspections, law enforcement, the media, or even package delivery, this technology will bring more companies into aviation and bring aviation closer to us. I’m saying all this to set up how different the world of transportation is, and will be going forward. It won’t be as long as you think until our cars won’t require a driver. Or when we’ll jump on an app and a driverless car will show up at our front door and deliver us to our destination. It’s all so exciting and the progress amazing. The future will transport us more safely, reliably, and for sure — creatively. However, it’s the market that will determine if people are ready to move on from the total control they have at the wheel. It’s always been about the ride, and we will be on a very interesting and exploratory ride. But for me, nothing will replace a stick shift on the floor, chrome wheels, whitewall tires, loud pipes rolling along with an AM disc jockey blasting out tunes. Back then, a car was a reflection of you. It was your baby. It said a lot about who you are. Tony Iannelli is president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at tonyi@lehighvalleychamber.org. Read the original article here.