--- title: Futuristic Cars - 1950s till 2072 | .id blog description: Our transport planners live in a different environment, with not only environmental conditions, but the needs of people and the types of cars and fuels changing. image: https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/Batmobile1959-e1404887670267.jpg --- [![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png) ![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png)](https://home.id.com.au) - Services - [Services for Local Government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Services for Industry](https://home.id.com.au/industry-services) - [Resources](https://home.id.com.au/demographic-resources) - [Case studies](https://home.id.com.au/case-studies) - [Blog](https://blog.id.com.au/) - [About](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet our team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Contact](https://home.id.com.au/contact-us) [BY INDUSTRY](https://home.id.com.au/#industry-services) - [Local government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Financial services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/financial-services) - [Utilities](https://home.id.com.au/industries/utilities) - [Education](https://home.id.com.au/industries/education) - [Retail](https://home.id.com.au/industries/retail) - [Emergency services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/emergency-services) [BY EXPERTISE](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#streams) - [Consulting](https://home.id.com.au/consulting-services/local-government) - [Demographics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/demographics) - [Forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/) - [Economics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/economics) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) [DIGITAL PLATFORM](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#platform) - [profile.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-profile) - [atlas.id](https://home.id.com.au/social-atlas) - [forecast.id](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/forecast.id) - [economy.id](https://home.id.com.au/economic-profile) - [housing.id](https://home.id.com.au/housing-monitor) - [views.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet the team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Referencing .id as a source](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/referencing-and-sources) #### [BLOG](https://blog.id.com.au) # Don’t put air-conditioning in the car – control the temperature of the road instead….! - [Population](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population) - [Demographic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/demographic-analysis) - [Local area analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/local-area-analysis) - [Population trends](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-trends) - [Australian census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/australian-census) - [New Zealand population and census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/new-zealand-population-and-census) - [Population forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-forecasting) - [Economic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/economic-analysis) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/community-views) - [.id news](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/-id-news) - [Fun stuff](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/fun-stuff) - [Online tools](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/online-tools) - [Community profiles](https://content.id.com.au/community-profiles-australia) - [Social atlas](https://content.id.com.au/social-atlases-australia) - [Population forecasts](https://content.id.com.au/population-forecast-australia) - [Economic profiles](https://content.id.com.au/economic-profiles-australia) - [Housing monitors](https://housing.id.com.au/) - [Community views](https://views.id.com.au/local_governments) - [How to](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/how-to) - [Features and updates](https://home.id.com.au/new-data-and-features) ## Don’t put air-conditioning in the car – control the temperature of the road instead….! [Jim - ideas, observations and handy shortcuts](https://blog.id.com.au/author/jim-ideas-observations-and-handy-shortcuts) 26 Apr, 2012 It’s fun, but also interesting and entertaining to look at what the futurists and planners had in mind for the future of transport development back in the late 50’s. ![Batmobile1959-300x205](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/Batmobile1959-300x205.jpg?width=300&height=205&name=Batmobile1959-300x205.jpg) It’s interesting because we can reflect on their mindset at the time – they had no worries about pollution or greenhouse gases, less concerns about safety, and a seemingly endless supply of fossil fuels. Now, our transport planners live in a different environment, with not only environmental conditions, but the needs of people and the types of cars and fuels changing.  Even so, how will their current plans and predictions look to the people of 2072? Have a look at this short video, called “Magic Highway” produced in 1958, and consider what parts were really “out there”, which predictions sort of came true, and which were “spot on”…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6pUMlPBMQA I’ll get you started: - Radar to avoid collisions – yes. Mercedes-Benz, among others, now have active “Collision prevention assist” .  Read more about this [here..](http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-1210220-1-1462062-1-0-0-1210338-0-0-135-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html) - Self-driving cars.  Yes – Google already has a driverless car that can drive by itself, using GPS, Google Maps, Streetview, a series of cameras and radar.  Read more [here..](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/28/google-driverless-car-eric-schmidt_n_1307681.html) - Atomic powered cars?  Err, no, that one didn’t happen. What do you think actually has come to fruition and what was pure fantasy?  Please let us know your comments! **If you would like to receive more updates about the Census, population forecasts (and quirky stuff), do follow us on twitter [@dotid](http://www.twitter.com/dotid) or subscribe to our blog. You may also wish to visit us at id.com.au** Tags: [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) ##### Jim - ideas, observations and handy shortcuts Jim has been a member of the .id team since early 2010, following 10 years as a Director in local government and prior to that, many years at IBM. Jim is also a former .id client and recognised the value of .id’s tools in council decision making. He decided to join .id to help spread the word! He manages .id’s local government clients in Queensland and South Australia, helping them to use .id’s tools for informed strategy and policy decisions. Outside work, Jim enjoys learning Spanish, travel (especially to Spanish speaking locales) and collects the odd car or two… Previous Story [Melbourne’s population – a story of growth](https://blog.id.com.au/2012/population/population-trends/melbournes-population-a-story-of-growth) Next Story [What is your consultation delivering?](https://blog.id.com.au/2012/how-to/what-is-your-consultation-delivering) ### Related Posts [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![What is Australia's largest suburb?](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/martin-david-4415uJ8nxAs-unsplash.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/what-is-australias-largest-suburb) 19 July, 2024 [What is Australia's largest suburb?](https://blog.id.com.au/what-is-australias-largest-suburb) [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/Life%20expectancy%20at%20birth%2c%201992%20to%202020-2022.png)](https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-falls-slightly-due-to-covid) 16 Nov, 2023 [Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID](https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-falls-slightly-due-to-covid) [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![Australia’s life expectancy ranks 6th in the world](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/Life-expectancy-at-birth-1990-to-2018-2020.png)](https://blog.id.com.au/2021/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-ranks-6th-in-the-world) 08 Nov, 2021 [Australia’s life expectancy ranks 6th in the world](https://blog.id.com.au/2021/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-ranks-6th-in-the-world) ### Leave a Reply [Next Story What is your consultation delivering?](https://blog.id.com.au/2012/how-to/what-is-your-consultation-delivering) [Previous Story Melbourne’s population – a story of growth](https://blog.id.com.au/2012/population/population-trends/melbournes-population-a-story-of-growth) ###### Other Resources [![Visit the demographic resource centre](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/9f91699d-64e2-4b1a-862a-a9b326d7ace7.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/9f91699d-64e2-4b1a-862a-a9b326d7ace7) [![New Call-to-Action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/c38b4439-45ab-4e1b-b8e2-e2c83dcd4f2d.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/c38b4439-45ab-4e1b-b8e2-e2c83dcd4f2d) [![Living in place - Things to consider when surveying communities](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/edc7cbe4-2147-4109-804c-c409a6cc4ad4.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/edc7cbe4-2147-4109-804c-c409a6cc4ad4) [![New Call-to-Action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/daf7b77f-d989-4d66-964e-394afb2b297c.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/daf7b77f-d989-4d66-964e-394afb2b297c) [![Living in place - learnings and applications](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/d18ace05-bcc1-4478-a1b4-b01c86d003e9.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/d18ace05-bcc1-4478-a1b4-b01c86d003e9) [![New Call-to-action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/afec380f-71d7-4e79-b8b0-5b952ebe12e0.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/afec380f-71d7-4e79-b8b0-5b952ebe12e0) ![AoC-Australia-sm-1668562151-412x274](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/AoC-Australia-sm-1668562151-412x274.webp) In the spirit of reconciliation .id acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. 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