The Commute

Observations on the current happenings in the world of vehicles and the fuels that power them from Fuels Institute Executive Director, John Eichberger.

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Will Our Children Drive?

John Eichberger | February 1, 2016

I had a discussion the other day about the future of driving and whether my daughter (now almost two years old) will ever have a driver's license. The argument presented to me was that autonomous technology would advance at such a rapid pace that she will never need to learn to drive and, more to the point, will not want to learn to drive. I disagree, but only partially.

Smaller Engines, Higher Mpg

John Eichberger | January 1, 2016

Improving fuel efficiency is certainly a hot topic going into 2016. For one, it's a government requirement and two, consumers are demanding it. Will the answer be the introduction of sexy new alternative vehicles that promise 100 mpg? Possibly, but data suggests that traditional engines and fuels aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Visions of the Future

John Eichberger | December 1, 2015

So often, those of us in industry talk about what the Millenials, or the next generation, want from products and services. We seek to understand their motivations and what might be important to them as they emerge into the primary target consumer segment. But what do we really know?

Is Big Brother Watching?

John Eichberger | November 1, 2015

It has been 31 years since George Orwell’s vision of the future in “1984” came and went without incident, but technology is catching up and enabling the potential emergence of Big Brother. Of course, like all potentially invasive government programs in science fiction stories, the core objectives are clearly benevolent and seek to serve the common good – but in the wrong hands…