Running Head: Green Transport: Return of the Future

Green Transport: Return of the Future

Wendy Zhou

University of California, Berkeley

College Writing R1A

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Green Transport: Return of the Future

Electric vehicles have had a huge impact on transportation since the 19th century.

As time progressed, new and improved electric vehicles were invented. Airships, electric

cars, and the Segway all had their golden eras during times when gasoline prices

skyrocketed. But when gasoline prices and fossil fueled vehicles became more affordable,

consumers lost interest in these three alternate forms of transportation. Electric vehicles

have started making a comeback to reduce fossil fuel usage and to improve the quality of

the environment.

Airships

Before airships were known, boats were the original form of long distance

transportation. The airships, lighter-than-air aircrafts, we see floating above football

stadiums today were once a popular form of in-air transportation, but with the

advancement of technology over time, airplanes soon took over the aerial transportation

market.

The first form of lighter than air vehicle was invented by two Jesuit fathers in the

17th century (Laniado, 2014). Zeppelin, a brand of dirigibles, was the first to build a rigid

airship (Laniado, 2000). Zeppelins airship first took off on July 2nd of 1900 and remained

airborne for 18 minutes (Laniado, 2000). The comfort level of airships was improved with

the addition of luxurious dining rooms, galleries, and even smoking rooms (Laniado, 2014).

And yet, despite their appeal, airships were still hazardous for passengers because of the

flammable hydrogen gas.

Many airships in the 1900s used hydrogen gas because it was lighter and a thousand

times cheaper than helium (The Great Airships, n.d.). The inflammability of hydrogen in
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the early 1900s was clearly not taken seriously given that airship manufacturers built

smoking rooms on a vehicle fueled using flammable gas. When the Hindenburg, a German

airship, exploded in May 1936, killing 35 passengers, it horrified many people at the time.

However, the accident was not the sole reason for societys rejection of airships.

In 1930s, the drop in the price of gas allowed for cheaper airline travel (Matulka,

2014). Airplanes became the preferred in-air transportation over airships because of their

technological and service improvements. In the 1930s, airlines, following the lead of Boeing

Air Transport, began employing female flight attendants who assisted passengers

throughout their flight (Commercial Flight in the 1930s, n.d.). Flight attendants offered

passengers food, beverages, and assisted customers with their various needs. Concerned

for the passengers safety, United Airlines hired nurses to provide health services for

passengers. Besides the improved service that airlines provided for passengers, speed was

their main advantage. The Douglas DC-2 aircraft was the fastest aircraft at that time and

flew 210 miles per hour from coast-to-coast (Commercial Flight in the 1930s, n.d.).

Overall, airplanes not only provided better service, but were also much faster.

Although the average person does not travel on airships anymore today, airships are

making a subtle comeback with governments renewed interest. The government sought to

make changes to improve the environment by using blimps instead of airplanes for military

surveillance. As the quality of the environment is deteriorating, government has replaced

airplanes with airships for military surveillance and freight delivery. Airships are quieter,

which is a benefit for military surveillance because they are less easily detected. As a form

of freight delivery, airships are also faster than ships. George Monbiot, an environmentalist,

reveals, The environmental cost [of airships] could be reduced almost to zero (Shreeve,
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2008). Since airships use helium, they do not need to be refilled every time they land like

airplanes do. Not only are airships more cost efficient, they are also environmentally-

sustainable making them an increasingly popular option for aerial transport.

Electric Cars

Electric cars were once a successful green innovation before they went on to

experience a downfall. When gas cars were sold at a significantly cheaper price than

electric cars, consumers rushed to buy them, leading to the near disappearance of electric

cars. Fast forward to the 21st century, increasing rates of carbon emissions and pollution

motivate car manufacturers to clean up the environment by bringing back electric cars.

For most of the 1700s, vehicles relied mainly on steam before the innovation of

technology on cars. However, it was not until 1890 when William Morrison, an American

chemist, invented the first electric car (Matulka, 2014). Although years had passed, the

horse was still the main mode of transportation at the time (Matulka, 2014). As years

passed by, electric cars began appearing more frequently in the United States. Compared to

gasoline cars, electric cars were quieter, easier to drive, and did not pollute the

environment. Steamed vehicles also took up to 45 minutes to start (Matulka, 2014). For

these reasons, the electric car became highly popular. By the early 1900s, a third of the cars

on the road were electric cars because more electricity was more accessible to the average

person (Matulka, 2014). This allowed people to charge their cars conveniently. At this point

in time, electric cars had reached their golden era. Because of the high demand, vehicle

designers like Henry Ford and Ferdinand Porsche were constantly trying to modify and

improve the vehicles battery life and to lower the cost of electric cars.
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In 1908, Henry Ford directly initiated a turning point for electric cars when he

produced a $650 gas car, as compared to an average electric car which sold at $1,750

(Matulka, 2014). In addition to cheaper gas cars, the discovery of Texas Crude Oil also

rapidly decreased the price of gas. By 1935, electric cars had nearly disappeared from the

roads because consumers failed to see the need for an expensive electric vehicle when a gas

car had a similar function with a longer range. Gas cars had a range of 60 mph, while

electric cars only had a range of 30 mph (Matulka, 2014). When the 1920s came around,

many roads were connected to cities and Americans wanted to travel, so they needed an

efficient vehicle to travel with. Taking the factors of cost, productivity and quality of

transportation into consideration, Americans chose the gas car over the electric car.

However, with the effort to reduce carbon emissions and create a more sustainable

environment, the government invested greatly in research for the development of the once

rejected electric vehicles. In 2012, President Obama launched an Energy Department

Everywhere initiative that encouraged engineers and manufacturers to produce more

electric cars. For example, the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid sold at $27,000 and the Nissan

Leaf sold at $34,200 were all successful electric cars from 2012. By decreasing reliance on

fossil fuel vehicles, 20 percent of carbon emissions can be decreased, creating a cleaner and

more sustainable environment (Matulka, 2014). Now that electric cars are cheaper, the

popularity is rising with the governments support.

Segway

Dean Kamen invented the Segway in 2001 to reduce carbon emissions and

pollution, a goal similar to that of modern electric cars. Many people who have heard about

the Segway thought the $5000 price was absurd for a mode of transport with low
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competitiveness, productivity, and quality compared to a car. When gasoline prices

skyrocketed in 2008, the Segway boosted to popularity. Currently, the public and private

organizations are big supporters of the Segway because it uses a significantly less amount

of gasoline than a car does, creating a more affordable option.

The Segway has been a joke to many people since its invention in 2001 (Wert,

2008). Potential consumers of the Segway were unhappy with its high price, inability to

travel on favorable road conditions and how it made users look when riding it. It did not

require any skill to operate, such as sliding one leg to keep the vehicle moving or to

position one foot behind the other like a skateboard rider would. The public perceived the

Segway as something that simply replaced a users legs, a vehicle which promotes obesity.

Segways are furthermore only capable of going 12.5 miles per hour and riders can easily

achieve similar speeds by jogging or biking (Wert, 2008). The price of one Segway is

comparable to eight IRO Mark V bikes at $569 each or thirty-five $140 Nike shoes (Wert,

2008). The Segways inability to travel up stairs and requirement of strong center of

balance also made it difficult for users to operate, thus disappointing potential consumers.

Fast forward to a few years later, in 2007 gasoline prices soared, and the popularity

of Segways rose with it. Gas for a car cost $250 per month while charging a Segway just

$124 per month (Sofge, 2008). In 2007, Segway sold 25 percent more units in one quarter

than its previous quarter (Sofge, 2008). Although riding a Segway did not make riders look

cool, the electric vehicles purpose was still to improve the quality of the environment.

Demand for Segways increased only when the operating cost benefited consumers. Before

gasoline prices increased in 2007, a $5000 Segway was simply unjustifiable (Sofge, 2008).
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Even currently, organizations are highly supportive of the Segway because it

produces zero emission. With the deterioration in quality of the environment, the

government is seeking ways to reduce fossil fuel usage. In 2015 Xiaomi, a Chinese startup

bought the Segway Inc. and redesigned the Segway with an addition of an angle adjustment

feature while building popularity for it. Although the average person would not purchase a

Segway, that does not imply that no one uses it. Law enforcement agencies are purchasing

Segways for police to ride on instead of walking their beats. Segways give police an extra

eight inches in height making it easier to monitor people at big events (Sofge, 2008).

Employees of the Atlas Energy Resources company in Pennsylvania use Segways to travel

to different residential areas to check up on gas meters everyday (Sofge, 2008). The

Segway makes the employees job much more efficient by saving traveling time from house

to house. Rather than using fossil-fueled vehicles for short trips, the Segway is an efficient

vehicle to assist in everyday errands. Not only do Segways cut fuel costs they also offer a

cleaner environment.

Conclusion

Airships, electric cars, and Segway have all experienced their downfalls, but they are

now experiencing a revival in popularity. Although airships arent as fast as airplanes and

Segways arent as fast as cars, all three environmentally-friendly vehicles are making their

comebacks with reduced prices and strong supporters such as the public and private

organizations and consumers. Consumers and the government are not only attracted to

their cheaper prices compared to fossil-fueled vehicles, but also their selling point of

producing reduced to zero emission. Today, global warming is a worldwide issue. With so
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many vehicles that can replace fossil fueled vehicles, the future of green transport to make

a comeback is welcomed by more of us than ever.

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References

Commercial Flight in the 1930s. (n.d.). Century of Flight. Retrieved from

http://www.century-of-

flight.net/new%20site/commercial/Flight%20in%20the%201930s.htm

Laniado, J. (2000, November). Frieze Magazine. Slow Motion Carried Away by Ships.

Retrieved from bCourses.

Matulka, R. (2014, September 15). The History of the Electric Car. Energy.gov. Retrieved

from https://energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car

Shreeve, J. (2008, June 20). The Telegraph. Airships: Colonel Blimps Eco-flight Credentials.

Retrieved from

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/greenerliving/3344952/Airships-

Colonel-Blimps-eco-flight-credentials.html

Sofge, E. (2008, June 13). 4 Practical Reasons the Segway Isnt Actually That Lame

Anymore. Retrieved from bCourses.

The Great Airships. (n.d.). Century of Flight. Retrieved from

https://bcourses.berkeley.edu/courses/1465513/files/folder/Readings/U2%20Re

adings?preview=71516714

Wert, R. (2008, June 17). Seven Reasons The Segway Still Sucks. Retrieved from bCourses.