What the Great American Road Trip Will Look Like in 2040

Getty Images From Easy Rider -style motorcycle trips to cross-country family adventures á la National Lampoon’s Vacation , the great American road trip looms large in the collective imagination. But times are a’changin’, and a more Jetsonian mode of travel— namely, self-driving cars and even flying taxis — are gaining speed.

So what does the road trip of the future look like? T+L maps its out. The Rise of Electric Cars

Between the vroom of an engine and the plume of exhaust trailing behind you, there’s nothing like the thrill of hitting the open road (in a gas guzzling car, that is).

But traditional cars have been falling out of favor for years, and a recent AAA survey found that 20 percent of Americans (that’s 50 million people!) are likely to go electric for their next car.

The environmental benefits alone are worth it. According to the Department of Energy , we could reduce foreign oil use by 30-60 percent and lower carbon pollution by 20 percent if all the cars in the country were switched to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles. From left: Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images But there’s also a financial argument for going electric. It costs half as much to charge an electric vehicle as it does to fill a tank of gas, and for Tesla Model S and X owners, supercharging is free. Just think: with all that extra cash, you might even be able to skip the road trip and opt for a flight instead!

While Tesla is arguably driving the electric car movement, more high-end brands are putting skin into the game, as well — so you’ll have options for your next set of wheels. Beyond the popular Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF, Jaguar’s I-Pace SUV is debuting in 2019, followed […]

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