When it comes to resource depletion you can only negotiate a compromise...

What do I mean? In 15 years there may be a worldwide oil crisis so severe that gasoline for the car you drive today will simply not be available at an affordable price. It won't affect just you, so don't worry about being the only one on the road with a tiny 240 mpg hydrogen-fueled car. There will still be difficulties transporting some things:

1. kids, parties, social groups, disabled people
2. bulk materials delivery (construction & manufacturing materials/products, residential relocation)
3. transport of a few large items (bicycle, camping gear, big-screen tv, family pets)

Trailers might become popular again. When was the last time you saw a vehicle towing a trailer around? I haven't seen one recently. I imagine trailers with their own engines & fuel tank, made for transporting extra passengers, or a few larger items. Maybe they will be able to change shape depending on the purpose. And maybe the trailer will be have a modular construction, attaching directly to the car to allow normal maneuvering. The point is the trailer detaches when you aren't using it.

Why do I think this will happen? Because oil supplies are running out. Some people think that before the decade is out we will see a drop in the yields from the older oil fields. Not long after that, say by 2015, worldwide consumption will rise to a level that equals production. Then as production continues to decrease, consumption will be forced down with it.

We have already passed a couple milestones:

In 1962 the number of new oil reserves discovered each year peaked. Ever since then we have discovered fewer oilfields each year, and today we are doing very poorly on the exploration side, with nearly the entire surface of the planet fully explored. In 1981 for the first time worldwide annual oil consumption was greater than the amount of oil discovered each year, and has been steadily growing since. By my own estimates by 2010 Europe will deplete its domestic oil reserves, and more than 50% of the world's remaining oil reserves be in OPEC countries. By 2015 we will rely mostly on middle-eastern countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, for the bulk of our oil supplies. At the same time oil consumption in Asia-Pacific countries will equal that of North America & Europe, and together will likely outstrip the production capacity of OPEC. Sometime between 2023 -2030 nearly all of the world's oil will be gone. You may argue as to the exact date this will occur, but this is what my calculations clearly show. At the phenomenal rate we are consuming oil, a year or two difference either way is meaningless - it is going to happen.

What about the Caspian Sea? Just a year ago the Caspian Sea region was estimated to hold up to 300 billion barrels of oil, and an equal amount of natural gas. Now the estimate of the former has been revised down to just 7.8 billion barrels of oil. At the expected 3.8 million barrels/day rate of production, the Caspian Sea oil reserves will be depleted in less than 6 years.

Radio Free Europe Aricle Quote:
"Most analysts now agree that future flows of oil from the Caspian will make only a marginal difference to world prices, perhaps ranking in importance with Britain's and Norway's production from the North Sea."

So in 15 years or so we'll be seeing a lot of small 200+ mpg hydrogen-fuelled vehicles on the roads. The great thing is the free market economy will cause it to happen without any need for regulation. What sucks is that if there is an economic downturn, it could be catastrophic, and it will happen in my lifetime. As such some planning should be in place, viable designs and tooling for supermileage vehicles should be readily available, blah blah blah. You know what I'm saying - think, philosophize, plan, and be patient.