According to the latest industry projections, there isn’t going
to be an appreciable increase in R&D funding for alternative
energy engines in the foreseeable future. However, automakers
are investing heavily in improving the efficiency of traditional
fuel engines. Electric car engines, solar-powered cars, and
hybrid vehicles are unlikely to see major gains in investment in
the short-term future. Instead, global automakers are planning
to invest in improving the existing internal combustion engine,
with the aim of reducing its size, making it more efficient, and
cutting down on its CO2 emissions. The latest annual Global
Automotive Executive Survey, from tax advisory firm KPMG, polled
200 C-level executives in the global automotive industry. The
consensus was that electric cars won’t account for more than 15
percent of sales over the next decade, and that research and
development money will primarily be spent on enhancing internal
combustion engine technology. The majority (71 percent) of
automotive executive