The new type of transportation Transportation, by definition, is the act of moving something or someone from one place to another. There are many different types of transportation vehicles such as bicycles, boats, human feet (for walking/running) and many more. But when you're actually asked about transportation, what comes to mind? Yes, the car. The automobile and transportation pose many problems. There are five main issues which consist of; social, physical, economic, energy and environmental demand. The first of the issues is the issue of social transport. The automobile has become such an important part of people's lives today that it has actually changed the way people live. Today more than in the past, people live outside cities, and live further from work. This social factor of the car has led us to dedicate more time, energy and money to mobility. Even if taking to the road costs us more, it also costs us more human lives, in the last ten years over 400,000 people have lost their lives in car accidents. The second problem is the physical question. To make automotive transportation possible, a lot of infrastructure is needed: land, bridges, overpasses, and every single road. Every road must be designed to handle traffic and weather conditions and must be constantly updated. You also need to build and maintain all necessary car storage spaces, parking lots, parking structures and garages. With the growing demand for cars, many urban areas are increasingly becoming places to stay for cars. The third question is the economic one. The cost of any large infrastructure is high. ...... half of the sheet ......[4] This is a photo of a hybrid car and all the components that make it up. Nice, Karim "How hybrid cars work". How things work. www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm 2004[5] Goehring, Janet B., Kreith, Frank, Reed James B., Sikes Kathryn P. “Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Options for State Policymakers.” National Conference of State Legislatures. www.ncsl.org/programs/esnr/transfer4.htm[6] This is the Honda Insight, the new hybrid vehicle. Nice, Karim "How hybrid cars work". How things work. www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm 2004[7] Toyota's new hybrid car, the Prius. Nice, Karim "How hybrid cars work". How things work. www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm 2004[8] This graph shows the future company, car, and year that the new hybrid will be on the market. Nice, Karim "How hybrid cars work". How things work. www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm 2004