As long as cheap liquid fuels are available, nothing will look like a good alternative. But, if they aren't available, many alternatives like electric vehicles (and even bicycles) will suddenly look pretty good.

Eightysixthebs wrote..

1) Run power lines over the interstate the same way they do for other mass transit systems.
2) Have the car tap into this with a hook like you see on a city bus.
3) The car uses the power for long distance while on the interstate and charges the battery for the shorter hops "off grid".

Agreed. And bring back the electric trollys for mass transit.
Forget the battery-pack exchanges, forget the charging stations, forget the range limitations.
And, on a humorous note: The interstate highway of the future:

http://www.russellfair.com/midway/bumper....

But the problem isn't really the continuation of some form of motorized individual transportation. An over-sized golf cart can do that. The problem is that everybody is always in such a damn HURRY to get to everywhere that they want to go.
They can't drive 30-40 mph around a place like metro Atlanta...they have to go 70-80mph, and so the current crop of "alternative" electric vehicles are designed to do the same. And thus they end up being not much of an alternative at all.

Mannfilm11 wrote..

In my opinion, urban design will be a lot more important in the realm of energy than electric cars.

Agreed. And you have some good ideas, by the way. I wish Disney had put you in charge of building a real EPCOT.

However, none of the alternatives will take place until it is a matter of necessity. After the cheap, liquid hydrocarbons are gone. (Emphasis on "cheap")