The Future

As the year draws to a close, I can't say that there's a great deal of Christmas cheer in the automotive industry. Subaru and Suzuki can't afford to go rally-racing anymore. Honda just cancelled their V10-powered NSX supercar, even as it was in undergoing final trials at the Nürburgring. Toyota has been laying off contract workers in Japan by the hundreds, and has halted construction on a new US plant that would have built more Priuses for the North American market.

And if things are bad for foreign automakers, they're even worse for the home teams. GM is so starved for cash that they've just announced their intention to sell off rare and collectible cars from their museum collection. Chrysler has shut down all production for at least a month. Ford is looking to unload Volvo. Parts suppliers are witholding orders until they're paid in cash.

But it's not all Grinchiness and doom. In fact, gazing into our crystal ball-joint, it's possible to just make out the faintest few glimmers of hope on the horizon.

The Tesla Roadster

Up to this point, battery-powered transportation has failed to be, pardon the pun, electrifying. Basically every form of electric alternative transport was little more than a slightly oversized golf-cart; driving them was about as much of a hoot as licking a 9-volt battery. But not the Tesla.

Based on a Lotus chassis, the Tesla roadster has a lithium-ion battery pack that'll hold a charge good for a nearly 400-km range. Efficient? Yes. Exciting? Not so much.

Ignore the green stuff then, and check out the performance: 0-60mph takes just 3.9 seconds. On a recent British motoring program, the Tesla outran its gasoline-powered Lotus Elise cousin around a track, and ended up posting a better overall lap time than a Porsche 911.

Setting aside the fact that this sports coupe has been in development about as long as cold fusion, the production models are poised to appear at any moment, and it sounds as though they just might work.

The Chevy Volt

If GM does go under, it'll be especially painful as they have a car in development that'd probably have saved them, given a bit more time.

Possessing both a gasoline engine and an electric drivetrain, the Volt may appear to be like many hybrids on the surface. However, rather than using the gasoline engine to provide propulsion when engine loads are high, the Volt actually operates principally as an electric vehicle, one designed to be recharged periodically.

On pure electric power, the Volt will have a range of about 65kms. Once the batteries are depleted, a small 4-cylinder gasoline engine acts as a generator to extend the range to over 1000 kms.

Expected to enter production in 2010, if we don't see the Volt as a Chevy product, we're sure to see the technology in another form.

The Honda Insight

For a long time now, the Prius has had it all its own way. If you wanted to show that you were hip and environmentally concious, you bought a Prius. Actually, if you really wanted to show that you were green, you bought a bicycle and a bus-pass, but for those who couldn't live without a car, the Prius was pretty much the only game in town.

But here comes Honda, a little late to the party, but with an offering that will be much, much cheaper. By reducing the premium that hybrids demand over conventional small cars, Honda will undoubtedly contribute to a huge increase in the number of gas-electric powertrain vehicles on the road.

More hybrids on the road doesn't necessarily mean less pollutants in the air, but an increased demand for the technology would lead to more efficient production lines, less reliance on shipping over local manufacturing and better battery recycling programs.

The Nissan Denki Cube

Canadians will be able to get the Nissan Cube next year in conventional gasoline-powered form, and the funky little box on wheels should be a hot seller. Portland, Oregon residents will get an even better version (if you're a city dweller) as Nissan has announced a partnership with the State of Oregon based around electric vehicles.

The Oregon Department of Transport will be responsible for providing the recharging infrastructure, principally in densely-developed areas, and Nissan will provide the electric vehicles. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has mentioned a need for electric SUVs and Minivans for the plan to succeed, but you can pretty much guarantee there will be some version of the lithium-ion powered Denki Cube concept that was revealed at the 2008 New York Auto Show.

The Toyota/Subaru Coupe

The new Dodge Challenger SRT8 produces 425 horsepower. The BMW M3 now has a 420hp V8. The Corvette ZR1 churns out a whopping 638 horsepower. All excellent if you're trying to use up the oil reserves faster or melt those pesky polar icecaps.

But is all this brute force necessary if you just want to have something fun to drive? Subaru and Toyota don't think so, so they've been working on a new project that favours lightness over large-displacement, forced-induction engines.

Rumored to have a 2.0-litre, 200hp engine with rear-wheel-drive, a six-speed manual transmission and a 2400lb curb weight, the two-seater coupe is sure to be a smash. It may be launched under Subaru brand in North America only, or under Toyota's youth-oriented Scion brand. Best of all, it's projected to be competing at a price-point just over $20,000.

The European Ford Focus

I've long said that if Ford of Europe ever bring their cars over to North America, I'd be among the first in line at the dealership.

Well it looks like they're going to do it, so it's time to break out the camping chairs and sleeping bags and get in line. Ford will be releasing their Transit utility van, their Fiesta sub-compact car and the European Focus should arrive by 2010. Forget everything you ever thought about Fords, the Focus is more fun to drive than a Miata, more reliable than a Civic, and more practical than a minivan.

If they don't bring the 300hp Focus RS though, I may have to Take Steps.

The Honda FCX Clarity

Honda's already got a mention in this list, but their Fuel-Cell powered clarity is truly a vision of the future. This car is the one to watch if you'd like to know what you'll be driving when the oil runs out.

No it doesn't hover or fly or (disappointingly) have laser beams attached to the front fenders to blast rush hour into molecular dust.

What it does have is four doors, above-average roominess, a willing 134 horsepower engine, miserly fuel economy, and excellent brakes and handling. It feels like a glimpse at the next Honda Accord. The futuristic part is the powerplant.

The FCX Clarity runs on hydrogen. Its vertical-flow fuel cell charges a 288V lithium-ion battery and runs the electric motor. No gasoline required.

Several FCX Clarities have been leased at a Honda-subsidized $600USD/month to specific customers at dealerships where hydrogen refueling stations are close by. Obviously the cost of manufacturing hydrogen and the fuel-cell cars is still far too high to be commercially viable, but Honda has proved that they can build a practical daily driver around the technology, and it's only a matter of time before we see more fuel-cell cars on the road.