What are your favorite sources other than straight traditional gasoline for automotive power in the future, and why? What advantages / disadvantages do you see for them?

1. Gas-electric hybrids
2. Gasoline-alcohol mix
3. Straight alcohol.
4. Propane
5. Natural Gas
6. Straight electric power with long-life batteries
7. Fuel cells
8. Hydrogen
9. Solar power / batteries
10. Advanced low-sulfur diesel fuel
11. Other / none of the above

 

Interesting thread idea.

I really love the idea of Hydrogen. We have a nearly endless supply here on earth - so I think that it's a good direction for the auto industry as the world becomes more populous and more prosperous.

My biggest concern now with hydrogen powered vehicles is its volatility in liquid form.

However, I've read that there are several people developing methods of saturating some sort of solid material with hydrogen as a safe and efficient method of storing the element until it is consumed. This is great because the liquid/gas is voluminous and takes up a lot of space whereas compounded with the solid - storage (think RANGE) can be relatively compact and manageable.

I think once we get the storage issue worked out - powertrains will develop around the fuel and become, quickly I imagine, just as powerful and efficient as today's gasoline powered vehicles (especially if paired with an electric drive system).

My 2 cents.

M.

 

11. Nuclear fusion power!!




OK...so if that doesn't work, I'll take pure electric power.
It's offers:
- ultra high performance
- zero emission
- low cost
- easy recharge since power outlets are readily available in every household

Range is somewhat limited right now at around 150 miles and more gas stations offering AC service are needed but I'm sure both will be improved over time.

BTW, some of the other alternatives are great in theory too but they're much more expensive to produce on a per-mile basis.
Less cost-effective = higher barrier for wider adoption.

 

that'll be blast to drive anycar with nuclear fusion power


gas electric hybrid seems to have a lot of potentials in coming years.

 

Sunflower oil may be portable hydrogen source

26 Aug 04 14:48


Super-clean hydrogen fuel cells may not emit any carbon dioxide like modern internal combustion engines, but the hydrogen used in fuel cells is currently manufactured by burning dirty fossil fuels. Experts have been searching for a way to cut down on these related pollutants for years, and now a scientist at the University of Leeds believes that an everyday cooking ingredient could provide a portable solution to refuelling a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Valerie Dupont told a conference in Philadelphia that her team has developed a generator which converts sunflower oil into hydrogen via a nickel and carbon catalyst. The leftover oil could still be used to cook with, while the fuel cell's only by-product is water. A solar-powered generator could be used to split water's hydrogen from its oxygen counterpart, says Dupont, but that technology hasn't yet been developed. Although the sunflower oil generator is just a small project at the moment, Dupont insists that larger-scale versions for use at petrol stations could be viable. (The Guardian)



source HERE

 

I thought of nuclear power when I drew up the list but did not put it down because I felt that nuclear reactors are far too large and impractical at present for automotive use. It would be like using the engines from a Navy Supercarrier to power a small houseboat.

 

Not only would it be impractical - but powering personal vehicles with nuclear material would yield a considerable security/safety issue; regulation would be a nightmare (read: impossible).

M.