Contemporary trends are focused on the development of the so-called smart, connected and multimedia cars as well as actions in the field of driving autonomy, and these trends may lead to changes in the structure of the industry through the emergence and growth of the importance of new entities. The article presents the concept of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and the way it is perceived by users of traditional cars. Surveys were carried out in various age groups on the possibilities of developing AVs in Poland. The group of respondents were inhabitants of a rural area, small towns and cities with over 300,000 inhabitants. Based on our own research, it can be concluded that, due to many different factors, including costs, legal regulations and conviction, among others, AVs will not appear so soon in common use on Polish roads. The results of the research showed that the majority of respondents consider hybrid vehicles (HVs) and then electric vehicles (EVs) to be the dominant type of vehicles in the near future in Poland, at the same time pointing at the long process of adopting AV technology.

This paper presents evacuation solutions of hydroelectric power set applied in a screw-type turbine in Small Hydropower Plant (SHP). The article compares the solutions applied in Poland and other European countries in the yield of green energy from the water sector. Innovative solutions of the turbine safety problem in hydro building development in case of flood waters of rivers in Poland

The article contains an analysis of charging electric cars as a way to increase the use of energy produced from a photovoltaic system. A photovoltaic system is described, consisting of two micro installations, with a power output of up to 40 kWp each, supplying two sectors of the building of the Lublin Science and Technology Park. An internet platform for monitoring the operation of a photovoltaic system is presented. Next, an innovative system for monitoring, consumption and production analysis of electric energy in individual building sectors is described. A surplus of energy produced in one of the sectors was found. It was proposed that this excess energy would be used to charge electric vehicles. An analysis of the surplus power generated by the photovoltaic system in excess of the energy consumed by the building sector was used to determine the power available to the wall charger. The surplus of energy produced was used for calculations related to the amount of charging the electric vehicle required and the cost of traveling 100 km. Charging an electric car not only provides a faster return on investment in the installation, but also presents drivers with a very ecological and economical transport solution.

Road transport is one of the most important factors for the national economy due to its universality and comprehensive possibilities of transporting people and goods. Unfortunately, from the energy point of view, it is also the most cost-intensive and has a negative influence on the natural environment. For these reasons, issues related to limiting the use of conventional fuels are very important, which results in reducing emissions from this sector, as well as reducing transport costs. This article presents currently used energy sources for propulsion of road vehicles, including fossil and alternative fuels, gaseous fuels and other energy sources such as fuel cells. The following section presents technologies that allow to recover some of the energy lost in motor vehicles and internal combustion engines used for their propulsion. The principle of operation of these solutions, their structure and their main features are presented. The last part focuses on discussing and identifying the most universal technologies for energy harvesting in vehicles and showing further directions of energy development in the automotive sector.