Gallery: 10 Transportation Trends That Rocked 2010
01Nissan Leaf
This was one hell of a year for transit trends. Mass-market cars with cords finally rolled into driveways, electric aviation took off in a big way and high-speed rail ... well, two out of three ain't bad. As we count down the end of the year, let's look at 10 transportation trends that rocked 2010. __Above:__ Nissan Leaf ----------- At long last, the mass-market affordable electric vehicle is here and it is one sweet ride. The Nissan Leaf isn't for everyone, but it will suit the needs of far more people than its critics would have you believe. We [spent a week driving a Leaf](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2010/12/road-test-seeing-green-in-new-way-with-nissan-leaf/) as far and as often as we drive our conventional car and never worried about running out of juice. The Leaf is spacious, smooth and silent -- and [it's surprisingly affordable](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/03/nissan-leaf-ev-price/) once you add up the the state and federal incentives. Pretty much everyone [promises to have electric vehicles by 2015](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/11/ev-days-are-here-again/), and Nissan has set a high standard for them to follow. Company boss Carlos Ghosn deserves a lot of credit for placing so big a bet on electrics. We're betting it pays off handsomely. *— Chuck Squatriglia* *Photo: A Nissan Leaf coming off the assembly line. /Nissan*
GM02Chevrolet Volt
The Electrifying Chevrolet Volt ------------------------------- Listen up all you GM haters and Volt bashers: The Chevrolet Volt rocks and General Motors deserves tremendous credit for building it. We cannot say this emphatically enough. The Volt effectively bridges internal combustion and battery-electric propulsion to provide many of the best attributes of each. Spare us your lame arguments about "Government Motors" forcing this car on us. The Volt was in development long before the [Bush administration bailed out the auto industry](http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101109/OEM/101109838/1179). Quit rehashing the tired "GM lied" debate over whether the [Volt is an electric or a plug-in hybrid](stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/the-chevrolet-volt-isnt-a-true-ev/). The bottom line is you'll do much, if not all, of your daily driving without burning gasoline. Stop griping about the [$41,000 (pre-federal tax credit) price](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/07/its-official-chevrolet-volt-will-cost-41000/), already. Yes, it's expensive. We're talking about first-generation technology here, folks. Could you afford a 53-inch flat-screen TV when they first came out? No, you could not. Be patient. One more thing. Don't give us that line about government subsidies for electrics unless you're equally outraged by the many billions in subsidies, tax breaks and other handouts the petroleum industry gets each year. You can't have it both ways. What stuns us most about the vitriol is the people who say the Volt sucks or it is a failure *without having actually driven it*. We've driven the Volt at various stages of its development and come away impressed at every turn. This is a [remarkably well-engineered car](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/magazine/2010/09/ff_electriccars/) with excellent fit-and-finish and a boatload of features. There's a reason the Volt is racking up [car-of-the-year awards](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/11/chevy-volt-collecting-car-of-the-year-awards/) and it won the [Green Car of the Year](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/11/chevy-volt-wins-green-car-of-the-year/) award. It sure as hell isn't because it sucks. *— Chuck Squatriglia* *Photo: The Chevrolet Volt on the assembly line. /General Motors*
03Space X Dragon Launch
Commercial Space Flight Lifts Off --------------------------------- From *The Jetsons* to *Star Trek*, from Yuri Gegarin to Mike Melvill, we've always looked to the heavens and dreamed of going there. The day we can actually do so never seemed so close. Commercial space flight took two big steps forward this year as companies led by men with outsized personalities reached for the sky — and got there. [Virgin Galactic flew a prototype](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-makes-first-glide-flight/) of its commercial spacecraft [*SpaceShipTwo*](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/tag/spaceshiptwo/) earlier this year. Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has said passenger flights could begin by the end of next year, giving those of us eager to experience weightlessness and the vast blackness of space a chance to do so. Branson isn't looking to merely ferry people to the edge of space. Virgin Galactic recently announced it will work with Orbital Systems and Sierra Nevada Space Systems on a proposal for NASA to develop orbital spacecraft. Virgin will have some competition. Several firms are submitting proposals, and they're all playing catch-up to SpaceX. Elon Musk's space venture launched its [Dragon spacecraft into orbit](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/spacex-launches-cargo-spacecraft-into-orbit/) and retrieved it in the Pacific after a few laps of the planet. It was a significant milestone for SpaceX and the [dawn of a new era in space flight](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/spacex-dragon-flight-earns-praise-opens-orbital-doors/). With commercial space travel being spurred on by government contracts to supply the International Space Station, space geeks everywhere are hoping the industry follows the same trend aviation did after government mail contracts led to better airplanes and eventually the airlines we all know today. *— Jason Paur* *Photo: The Southern California startup launches its Dragon capsule into orbit on Dec. 8. /SpaceX*
04Autonomous Audi TTS
Autonomous Vehicles ------------------- It was a big year for cars that drive (and stop) themselves, even if a Volvo S60 did [rear-end a truck during a press preview](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/05/doh-volvo-crashes-during-crash-avoidance-demo/) of its crash-avoidance technology. Google surprised pretty much everyone by announcing that its autonomous cars already roll among us. Seven self-driving test cars safely navigated 140,000 miles with occasional human input and 1,000 miles without any human help whatsoever. If nothing else, that proves that, given enough sensors and pre-mapped routes, it may one day be safe to [text and drive](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/02/ray_lahood_distracted_driving/). Cooler still, Audi sent an [autonomous TTS racing up Pikes Peak](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/11/audis-robotic-car-climbs-pikes-peak/), a course that's challenging for even the best drivers. We've [ridden in Audi's robotic car](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/03/audi-autonomous-tts-pikes-peak/) and can tell you it almost certainly drives better than you do. In Europe, semi-autonomous vehicles are already in a testing phase, with "[road trains](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/road-train-tests-move-forward/)" linking vehicles headed in the same direction. A lead vehicle that's professionally driven is electronically linked to control the steering wheels and speeds of following cars so that drivers can take a break. It's designed to help save gas, reduce congestion and prevent accidents. While the idea of staring at an iPad while our cars rush us to work may seem appealing, it's pretty far off. And you Sebastian Vettel-wannabees needn't worry. The point of all this research isn't to take you out of the equation entirely. The engineers developing these robocars hope to develop technology that makes us better, safer drivers and allows the car to help us when we're in over our heads. *— Keith Barry* *Photo: The autonomous Audi TTS testing at El Mirage in California. /Audi*
05E-Spyder Ultralight
Electric Aviation Takes Flight ------------------------------ Twenty or 30 years from now it will be difficult to pinpoint the moment when electric aviation went from novelty to practicality. But that moment will come. This was a banner year for e-planes, which saw remarkable innovation and development that may well be a turning point in a new era of aviation. It has been just two years since Randall Fishman [took to the air in Electraflyer-C](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2008/08/the-company-cla/) at the big AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconisn. Before that historic flight, a few pilots had flown battery-powered planes, mostly gliders with small motors to assist with launch. But Fishman's remarkable enclosed-cockpit plane is seen by many as the first aircraft designed to power itself throughout flight on electricity alone. Here we are two years later and several electric airplanes are aloft. Yuneec is among the leaders in this emerging field. It has a small fleet of e-planes, from the [E-Spyder ultralight we flew](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/wired-flys-e-spyder-electric-plane/) (pictured) up to the two-seat e430 it is [marketing to flight schools](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/electric-airplanes-coming-to-a-flight-school-near-you/) around the world. The big guys are getting involved, as well. EADS, the parent company of aviation giant Airbus, flew an [electric airplane with four motors](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/06/airbus-parent-company-unveils-four-engine-electric-plane/) last summer. Sikorsky is [developing an electric helicopter](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/07/sikorsky-will-fly-electric-helicopter-this-year/), and Cessna announced a partnership to convert some of its ubiquitous 172 models to e-power. No one's saying you'll be taking a red-eye to New York on an electric airliner. But the rate of development has been impressive. This fall, a French pilot flew more than [162 mph in an electric airplane](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/electric-airplane-sets-new-speed-record/), setting a record and demonstrating that we're enjoying the same steep part of the development curve the aviation pioneers enjoyed 100 years ago. One hundred years ago, airplanes were still rickety machines barely capable of sustained flight. Ten years later they were dazzling people with their impressive performance and capabilities. Don't be surprised to see electric aviation follow the same trajectory. — Jason Paur *Photo: Jason Paur, preparing to take off in the E-Spyder. /Catherina Centanni*
06Memorial Bridge
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright ... -------------------------------- The Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery discretionary grant program was buried within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. What makes it special are the process and its stated aims: Instead of lobbying Congress to fund a project, issuing bonds or, in the case of highways, building it and asking the feds to reimburse, Tiger grants require states to submit programs to the the U.S. Department of Transportation for approval. This is a seismic shift. For decades, the leading solution to mounting congestion and economic inefficiencies has been to build ever more roads. Tiger is a deliberate step away from that outdated approach. It is an effort to bring reason to transportation funding. In approving projects, the DOT considers things like livability, sustainability, basic maintenance and intermodal transport. Some of the biggest grants went to freight rail, trains and mass transit projects — distinctly absent were giant interstate programs. Tiger distributed $1.5 billion to 51 "high-impact projects," out of some 1,500 applications seeking more than $60 billion. Tiger II doles out another $600 million to 70 projects selected from 1,000 applications seeking a total of $19 billion. America's reliance on cars is so ingrained that, despite the impossibility of building enough roads to keep up with projected growth, investment in other transportation methods often brings a backlash. But Tiger is perfectly placed to avoid such criticisms; the projects are generally low-visibility but high-impact. Though the current political climate may make things more difficult, continued Tiger grants appear to be the most efficient and effective means of rapidly funding real alternatives to our outdated pave-it-all mentality. *— Zach Rosenberg* *Photo: The Tiger II grant program provided $20 million to replace the deteriorating Memorial Bridge linking Portsmouth, New Hampshire with Kittery, Maine. [cmh2315fl](http://www.flickr.com/photos/21953562@N07/4052140306/) / Flickr*
07Solar Road
Democratization of Intelligent-Transit Tech ------------------------------------------- Roads that communicate with drivers and cars that communicate with each other already exist. Unfortunately, the technology usually has been available anywhere but the United States or in high-end vehicles few of us can afford. That changed this year with the democratization of intelligent-transit technology. Anyone with a smartphone can get a navigation app like [Waze that lets you avoid traffic tie-ups](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/11/waze-combines-crowdsourced-gps-and-pac-man/), and even those without cars can use apps like [Car2Gether to hitch a ride](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/09/daimler-car2gether/). Nearly every municipal transit system has an app that (somewhat reliably) predicts the arrival of the next bus or train. And even drunks in the Big Apple can [use their smartphones to find a cab](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/09/you-the-man-iphone-app/). Intelligent infrastructure projects also grew. We saw the real-world test of a "[smart highway" with variable speed limits](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/08/caution-seattle-speed-limits-subject-to-change/) in Washington. Projects such as Streetline are [helping motorists find parking spaces](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/11/city-parking-smartens-up-with-streetline/) in congested cities and enabling cities to set parking fees. One of the most ambitious projects is underway in an Idaho backyard, where Scott and Julie Brusaw are testing [road surfaces embedded with solar panels](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/09/solar-roadways-fix-the-power-grid-and-crumbling-pavement/) that not only provide clean energy for charging EVs but also feature LED displays that change traffic lanes and display warning messages in real time. A similar project in New Zealand turns roadways into [inductive charging stations](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/11/ditch-the-cord-let-the-road-charge-your-ev/) that could make range anxiety a thing of the past. Looking even further ahead, Swedish architect and urban strategist Mans Tham envisions a future where Los Angeles' famed [highways are covered with photovoltaic cells](http://www.manstham.com) (pictured above) that power the very city the freeways bisect. The panels would shield cars from weather, and algae ponds along the roadside would act as a giant carbon sink. It's way out there, but we're always encouraged by outlandish ideas. If nothing else, they get people talking and thinking about what is possible. *— Keith Barry* *Image: Mans Tham*
Photo: Ken Denmead08High-Speed Rail in China
China Sets the Course --------------------- It seemed hardly a week went by this year without China's expanding high-speed rail network making the news. The stories often provided variations on a theme: Incredulous descriptions of high-tech trains moving at ridiculous speeds over systems built instantly by a government with unlimited finances. As a result, China is home to the longest high-speed rail network on the planet, one that stretches about 4,400 miles. That's less than *half* of what the country hopes to build by 2020. The Beijing-Shanghai line alone, which was just finished, had 120,000 people working on it. Chinese officials recently revealed plans to build a line into Laos and Thailand, with an eye to stretch it all the way to Singapore. There's even talk of building a high-speed line through Asia and into Europe, a modern competitor for the classic Trans-Siberian. In the span of just a few years, China has become a rail powerhouse. Countries and companies around the world seek Chinese expertise, equipment and investment. Chinese HSR represents the only massive new rail system in the world, and Americans should sit up and pay attention. The challenge in the United States is mainly political, not technical, but Americans stand to learn a lot from China's experience building and operating a big new rail system. High-speed rail has the potential to revolutionize business in China, making it faster and more environmentally friendly. China's potential exports of technology and experience could hasten a transition to HSR in nations where it has previously not been a viable option. This is a big step in the right direction. China's high-speed rail is off and running. Ours is barely crawling. It's time to catch up. *— Zach Rosenberg* *Photo: [ZhangYining](http://www.flickr.com/photos/yining/5160079060/) / Flickr*
09Move to the City
Move to the City ---------------- The bursting of the real estate bubble isn't the only reason you're seeing so many exurban McMansions sitting vacant. Cities are hip again as people return to urban cores, a trend that bodes well for mass transit, smart growth and more sustainable development. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency found [major growth throughout cities in the United States](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/04/as-our-cities-grow-so-too-must-our-transit-system/). The EPA cites falling crime rates and rising demand for pedestrian-friendly [walkable communities](http://www.walkable.org/) as reasons for this large influx of people. The United States is hardly alone in this phenomenon. Sixty percent of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2030 — when, by the way, there are expected to be 2 billion cars on the road. This means the transportation systems we have grown accustomed to must change. They will be [multimodal, not car-centric](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2009/10/complete-streets/). We will see [transit hubs with greater connection](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/01/san-francisco-transbay-transit-center/) to urban cores. And they will promote alternative forms of transportation, like walking, biking and mass transit. Planners and policymakers are already embracing the change. Earlier this year U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood [leveled the playing field between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists](<http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/03/lahood-policy-statement/>) when allocating funding for transportation projects. The Obama Administration has been pushing for healthier communities with the creation of "[active transportation systems](<http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/09/cdc-transportation-recommendations/)" that include walking and biking. We can hear you grumbling back there about socialism or government intervention or a nanny state. But a lot of people favor these policies. A poll by Kelton research found 69 percent of Americans [think public transportation is a better option](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/most-americans-say-transit-often-the-better-choice-104867149.html) than driving on many occasions. Nearly 90 percent take mass transit to work if they have access to it. And 46 percent believe local, state and federal governments aren’t spending enough on public transportation. And don’t forget the data that show [more people are biking to work](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/more-people-biking-to-work/). People are using the multimodal transportation that exists, and they want more of it. *— Jason Kambitsis* *Photo: [mgarbowski](http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgarbowski/4882299389/) / Flickr*
Frankie Jim10Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
All Hail the King of Cars ------------------------- Consider the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. It costs the equivalent of $2.4 million, depending upon how the exchange rate is doing. Its turbocharged, 8-liter W16 engine spits out 1,200 horsepower, roughly 200 hp more than the standard, [$1.4 million Bugatti Veyron 16.4](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2009/07/pr_veyron_convertible/). If there is such a thing as an unnecessary necessity, this car is it. The Veyron Super Sport is the most powerful standard production car the world has ever seen, the most powerful production car the world is likely to ever see. It exists for no other reason than it has to. We need it for exactly that reason. How do you justify a car with a [top speed limited to 268 mph](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/07/bugatti-veyron-super-sport-268-mph/)? You can't. There is no place on Earth where you can, in any practical sense, use the Bug's Vmax (it can, theoretically, go faster). You don't run to the grocery story at 250. You don't run anywhere at 250. And you certainly don't need tires that can handle one-third the speed of sound. But if the Veyron Super Sport didn't exist, we would be a lesser people. We *need* these things. We need to know that it is possible. We need to know that somewhere the original automotive dream — faster than walking, faster than horses, faster than necessary — lives on. This is the greatest ground-bound, hand-guided velocity an ordinary Amex-Black-card-carrying man can attain. It's the coolest gadget, the greatest consumer good ever created, a moon landing you can fit in your garage. And like all supercars, it reminds us that we dream for a reason. *— Sam Smith* *Photo: Bugatti*
