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Since entering the 21st century, we have been facing a globally urgent need for all nations, without exception, to deal with environmental concerns such as global warming and energy issues arising from the depletion of fossil fuels. As a countermeasure, next-generation vehicles for a recycling-based society that are energy-efficient, compact, light, low-cost and reliable need to spread in the society. In this study, we will explain the basic philosophy of how to approach next-generation energy-saving technologies for automobiles, the current status and technological issues of internal combustion engines (ICE), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) with the latest examples. 

Automotive electrical and electronic systems, e.g. EHV, FCV, future X-By-Wire, have recently been introduced or planned in place of mechanical systems. Drivers are demanding environmental performance (fuel consumption and weight reduction), safety and comfort. For general use of the new technologies, evolution of the automotive technology is required, including energy conversion efficiency improvement, size and weight reduction of components, cost reduction and high reliability. This paper discusses and summarizes the next generation power systems, the future vehicle image, power source combinations, and problems to be solved for development of automotive electronics.