Not strictly factual, to be sure, but it does draw attention to the ways in which transportation has — and hasn't — evolved since the advent of the microchip, the Internet and every other technological breakthrough that has transformed the way we live and do business.

According to Environment Canada, transportation now accounts for roughly one quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions — a share roughly equivalent to that of the oil and gas sector. The good news is that even modest improvements to fuel economy, if universally adopted, could make a sizable dent in our country's overall output; the bad news is that we've been trending in the opposite direction for decades.

Popular interest in transportation innovation has focused primarily on the automobile, be it hybrid, electric or driverless.