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just a quick reply on the oil reserves, it could be that "easy" crude oil supplies will dwindle quite rapidly, but more costly ones (the tar sands in Canada and the shale oil in Venezuela) can last much longer, but are much more expensive to extract. Oil reserves are not only physical, but are also a function of the price. The economics of the internal combustion engine will therefore change, opening possibilities for other energy sources. It appears that the major oil companies are betting on hydrogen.
Whatever the propulsion, the basic energy needs to produce a vehicle will remain the same, but these could be supplied in a more concentrated way, for instance through nuclear energy (yes, this is a can of worms).
It can be safely said that within 10-20 years the years of cheap, individual motoring will most likely be over, and the biggest consumer in the world, the USA might start to realise that there are limits to freedom. It is interesting to see the Pavlov like reaction of the consumers there to fuel prices which are only one third of what we pay in Europe. They might be in for a shock.
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