4 Responses

1. Well, its a matter of transitions. We will probably move from different alternative fuels as the one we are currently using becomes either obsolete or depleted. Many are of the opinion that Biodeisel and ethanol are more “transition” fuels, that will be used as we improve the technology, (and reduce the cost to consumers) of other, better options. Biodiesel and ethanol are both made from plant matter, either vegetable or sugar cane in some cases. However, while they do burn cleaner than petroleum, they still cause pollution, not just in the burning in an engine, but also in the farming practices used to grow the raw materials, ship those raw materials to the centers where they are converted chemically into fuels, and then shipping those fuels to the nation/world’s ‘gas stations’. Hydrogen may be a good option eventually, except for the issue by which it take twice as much energy to *create* the hydrogen fuel, as what the resulting fuel will offer. As well as twice the volume of water, which will likely be diminishing resource itself one day. Electricity may be one of the best options, and not just in hybred cars, but in ALL ELECTRIC vehicles. We have had the technology to make realistic, working all-electric vehicles (Or, “EV’s”) since about 1996, and were even briefly sold by all the major american car manufacturers. But the project was halted in favor of larger vehicles, which customers at the time demanded. Electric cars today can be charged from home, or from public charging stations (which today, mostly exist in California). Even if you are deriving your electricity from coal burning plants, they run efficiently enough to still only cause a minuscule fraction of the pollution that standard internal combustion engine cars cause. And consider all the alternative ways of producing electricity that are clean! Solar, wind, hydro power could make for an almost perfect, “green car”. The only possible issue with electric cars would be the initial high cost to purchase them, until enough are purchased to bring the price down, as well as the fact that it may be a very limited resource for the minerals used to create the batteries (i.e. lithium, for lithium-ion batteries). An excellent source for much of this information would be pluginamerica.org, the documentary, and accompanying website, “who killed the Electric car” as well as the web page for Stan Ovshinsky, who was majorly important for the invention and development of lithium ion batteries, solar panels and much more. (Im afraid his website has changed recently, and I dont know what the new one is). But most of all, I agree with the earlier answer, is to talk to college professors, energy experts, and so on. They have the greatest wealth of knowledge! Hope this helps!

2. Bio-fuels, are a lie/scam/waste! Don’t believe it! Oil will be available for a long, long time.
   There are some good ideas including hybrids, and electric cars, but whats powering the electric cars? What ever you burn in a power plant. If you could have an all electric car for your daily driver powered by a nuclear plant at night, that might be something, but no new nuke plants have been built for like 30 years. Bio-fuels=BAD! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKrQGC7uVNo
   Oh, and the hydrogen scam, here in California they were telling us for years and years not to worry because they were going to build a hydrogen infrastructure. It never happened.
   And it appears it never was going to happen. Only a few photo shoots of the Gov. with his hydrogen Hummer. Hydrogen has its own problems which we don’t have the technology to overcome now.

   EDIT: I almost forgot, NATURAL GAS! This is a great fuel and we have TONS of it!!! But for some reason we are not using it for cars. Don’t waste your time trying to convince polititions to make laws (for example) making all gov. vehicles flex fuel capable for it. They already know all about it but won’t do it! Interesting!

3. With any fuel we would be using the internal combustion engine. (ICE) This was an improvement in efficiency over the external combustion engine (steam.) But the difference is from 5to 10 % efficiency for steam which does not need a transmission (due to lots of torque) to about 28% efficiency for ICE that does require a transmission (torque is only at its best in a narrow rpm range.) By the time rubber hits the road the ICE is about 15% efficiency. A diesel ICE is a little higher.

   Bio fuels tend to be cleaner but have less energy. We will put a great deal of work into making bio fuels and then throw 85% away as heat and wear. Some feel that we should only make a little step. We have so many industries and infrastructure associated with the ICE that it may seem frightful to suggest an even larger change. It is also part of human nature to want to keep using the same tool even when something better is available. And so you might see someone use a screwdriver used to not only take out screws but staples, nails, used as a drift and even a hammer. Sure like the ICE it is a useful tool but it is not as good as something better. And it is our stubborn resistance to change that can get us hurt.

   Today we face several problems. Peak oil and Global warming have frequently been in the press. Bio fuels take aim at the problem of peak oil. They may have benefits in handling the issue of global warming but in some cases may make matters worse.

   We also have rapidly growing populations. Petrochemical fertilizers and water pumping support the feeding of people but transportation in private cars is becoming increasingly congested around cities. When cars are stopped with engines running while they sit in traffic even cleaner fuels burned inefficiently are producing pollution. Lane splitting has been suggested as a solution to congestion that would allow more vehicles on existing roadways, but this may make pollution even moe of a problem. Hybrids turn their engines off in traffic but this is based upon the electric engine and presents no solution to congestion, and only delays oil shortages.

   One solution may be computer controlled traffic. This suggests the possibility that every light you come to could be green. Stop signs would not be necessary. This goes beyond efficiency of the vehicle to efficiency in the traffic flow. The necessary signals could b transmitted wirelessly as something like an I-pod app. But they could also be sent to vehicles through wires buried in the roadways. There is more that we could do with cables in the roadway. We could transmit electricity electricity wirelessly to vehicles traveling above. A first step into this new world is to have vehicles that run on electricity. They don’t even have to have batteries if all the power comes from the roadway. They could be lighter cheaper and more efficient than an ICE vehicle could ever possibly be. Presently, at great expense we are anticipating putting batteries in cars and charging stations on roadways. It would be far cheaper to put a wire in roadways and eliminate the batteries and charging stations. The first step in this possible future is electric vehicles.

   Biofuels may be reasonable choices but not ultimate answers. When told you have cancer you don’t ask your doctor if you can have only a little chemo. You want to resolve the problem. What we face may be that serious and difficult to resolve. We don’t want 1/2 answers. Hydrogen like a series hybrid is essentially an electric car with a power supply for electricity. It is also a 1/2 way measure that has been only 20 years away in technology for the last 50 years. We may not be able to wait for another 50. Electric vehicles are not only possible but practical and technologically available now.
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4. There’s some good information on hydrogen energy in this research report: http://cctv.ws/4/GlobalEnergy. It talks about how hydrogen technology will look in 2011, who stands to profit from it, and who is going to be a big loser. Interesting stuff directly related to the auto industry.