Supercars

This research paper by the Rocky Mountain Institute proposes a radical redesign of the light-vehicle industry, moving away from incremental improvements of steel cars toward 'supercars': ultralight, hybrid-electric vehicles constructed from net-shape polymer composites. The authors argue that integrating advanced materials, switched reluctance motors, and hybrid drives could increase fuel efficiency by up to ten times compared to 1990 US production cars, while simultaneously improving safety, reducing production costs, and transforming the industrial structure of automotive manufacturing and sales.

• Ultralight hybrid-electric family cars could achieve fuel consumption of less than 1.6 litres per 100 km using currently demonstrated technologies, with a long-term potential of 0.8 to 1.0 litres per 100 km.
• The 'supercar' strategy focuses on reducing aerodynamic drag and mass, as these are the primary drivers of fuel economy. For 1990 US cars, fuel economy is nearly three times more sensitive to mass reductions than to reductions in drag or rolling resistance.
• Replacing steel with net-shape polymer composites can drastically reduce vehicle mass and production costs. These materials allow for a reduction in parts count by up to 100-fold, a 10-fold reduction in assembly labour and space, and a 40-60% reduction in tooling costs.
• Hybrid-electric powertrains are highly synergistic with ultralight construction. Series-hybrid designs allow engines to run at optimal efficiency, eliminate idling, and recover up to 70% of available kinetic energy through regenerative braking in urban cycles.
• Modern switched reluctance drives are proposed as a superior traction motor option due to their high efficiency (up to 93%), high torque-to-frame size ratio, and lower mass-production costs compared to asynchronous systems.
• The authors argue that light weight does not compromise safety. Advanced composites can provide superior energy absorption compared to metal, and the use of 'survival capsules' and controlled failure modes can protect occupants even in ultralight vehicles.
• The transition to supercars could fundamentally alter the automotive industrial structure, shifting from capital-intensive mass production to agile, short-cycle manufacturing. This could enable direct-to-consumer, just-in-time assembly-to-order models, potentially eliminating the need for traditional dealerships.
• To accelerate the adoption of supercars, the authors suggest implementing revenue-neutral 'feebates'—fees on inefficient cars that fund rebates for fuel-efficient ones—rather than relying solely on fuel taxes or CAFE standards.

APA

Lovins, A. B., Barnett, J. W., & Lovins, L. H. (1993). Supercars. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T93-10-Supercars-The-coming-Light-Vehicle-Revolution.pdf

Chicago

Lovins, Amory B., John W. Barnett, and L. Hunter Lovins. Supercars. RMI, 1993. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T93-10-Supercars-The-coming-Light-Vehicle-Revolution.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lovins |first1=Amory B. |last2=Barnett |first2=John W. |last3=Lovins |first3=L. Hunter |title=Supercars |publisher=RMI |date=31 March 1993 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T93-10-Supercars-The-coming-Light-Vehicle-Revolution.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lovins1993supercars, author = {Lovins, Amory B. and Barnett, John W. and Lovins, L. Hunter}, title = {{Supercars}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {1993}, month = mar, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T93-10-Supercars-The-coming-Light-Vehicle-Revolution.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }