Cars from the Future: Presenting Your Eco-Friendly Design Ideas
Back to the Future car!Copyright Wikimedia Commons http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/BTTF_DeLorean_Time_Machine.jpg
In some cities, especially large cities such as Los Angeles or Mexico City, visible air pollution is a major problem, both for human health and the environment. A variety of sources contribute to air pollution, but personal vehicles account for one of the main sources. Though each car has relatively low emissions when compared to vehicles of the 1970s, there are so many more cars on the road now that their emissions play a large role in overall pollution. In this activity, students think about alternate ways to power a vehicle to reduce emissions. Student teams design an eco-friendly car using the engineering design process, and make a presentation to showcase their product.
As we learn more about our surroundings and the impacts that human-made items have on our own health and the health of the environment, engineers are finding new ways to reduce pollution from everyday activities. Engineers are making breakthroughs in alternate vehicle technology, such as hybrid and electric cars, and alternative fuels, such as biodiesel. To assure a healthy human population and environment, engineers are working to reduce emissions from motor vehicles since on-road vehicles are the leading source of many different types of dangerous pollutants. Engineers must be open to thinking out of the box and taking risks to achieve these goals. Also, it is important for engineers to learn how to present and sell their ideas to companies — and consumers.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain that cars contribute to air pollution by emitting pollutants that impact both human and environmental health.
- Explain that engineers help people by designing new cars that produce fewer emissions.
- Describe why it is important for engineers to be able to present their ideas persuasively.