Bienestar, automóvil y motorización

Access to car has traditionally been seen as an element of greater welfare of society. This is explained by its ability to increase the mobility of individuals and improving the accessibility of territories. This has led to a huge expansion of infrastructure, public services and private transport. However, increasing the possibilities of movement and accessibility has had a negative social and environmental impact on the citizens. This has resulted in the need to adapt the structure to the growing urban traffic flows and in the spatial extent of cities and periurbanization, affecting urban and non urban functions, frequently confused in a much larger space. The triumph of the automobile has led to the generation of negative externalities associated with the impacts of infrastructure and traffic on the environment (land occupation, physical separation of the territory, greenhouse gases…). Car’s social success has finally turned against society itself, by raising congestion in cities and increasing emissions of greenhouse gases. The sector is facing this situation through the R&D. A very active field is trying to change the technological trajectory of car engines.