With the price of oil staying low over the past few years and emissions control technologies better than ever, we hear less buzz about eco-friendly vehicles. Regardless, the automotive industry is still working to develop the perfect car. These five renewable energy sources are poised to make a difference.
1. Biofuel
Biofuels are made by fermenting biomass such as plant matter (cellulose). Ethanol is a type of alcohol, but you shouldn’t pour it in a glass. Chemical additives make it undrinkable. Biodiesel is another form of alcohol called methanol that’s combined with vegetable oil, grease, or fats.
Both ethanol and biodiesel burn cleaner than fossil fuels. They have been used as fuel additives for years to reduce harmful emissions. Existing engines can be converted to run on biofuel alone. Gathering and processing enough plant matter to power millions of biofuel vehicles is unrealistic at this time, but more efficient processes are in the works.
2. Solar
Today’s solar panels are much smaller and more efficient than they once were. Engineers find it is now possible to fit enough of them onto a car’s roof to power the vehicle. The concept hasn’t caught on, because people fear solar panels are fragile and ineffective in bad weather.
Nonetheless, the solar powered car is here. Stella is a small family sedan that can go 500 miles on a single charge. The fact that a true solar car is available and selling will likely lead to improved designs that are more marketable.
3. Hovercars
The advantage to magnetic levitation (maglev) trains is the durability and friction-less efficiency of propulsion. Moving parts are not required! It is only a matter of scaling them down to a personal vehicle, plus the difficult prospect of embedding magnetized rails in our roadways.
But there is also the hovercraft: a vehicle that rides on a cushion of air. Hovercraft have been around for quite some time, but seen as too inefficient and unsafe for the consumer market. Nevertheless, both Volkswagen and Toyota are working on prototypes. When they perfect them and amass funds for magnetic strips in highways, we will have flying cars, albeit at a height of a few inches.
4. Electric
You might think that automakers have mastered the concept, but even the high-performance Tesla has room for improvement. The main drawback has always been the batteries. They are bulky, take too long to charge, and discharge quickly.
The preferred choice is the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, which is expensive to make. Still, automakers are working hard to find better versions of the Li-ion battery. As a result, electric cars are getting closer to delivering the same range and power we get in a tankful of gas. Then the right choice will be obvious.
5. Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a combustible gas that can either be burned in a converted internal combustion engine or combined with oxygen in a fuel cell to power electric motors. The only exhaust is water vapor. The major disadvantages are that hydrogen doesn’t have the horsepower of gasoline, and is not that easy to come by.
Our main source for obtaining hydrogen is methane. The process of extraction is expensive, but Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda all have hydrogen-fueled cars on the market. Chevrolet and Mercedes are working on their own versions. Expect to see other automakers follow.
One of the main drawbacks to technologies like hydrogen or biofuel is that we don’t have much infrastructure to support them. But as we have seen, any technology that reaches a stage where it’s both effective and affordable has market potential, and when there’s a demand for the product, the infrastructure will follow.
Want to help us make that happen? Click here to tell your Facebook friends about these renewable energy sources. Mother Nature will thank you later!
About the Author
Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Econoheat, the world’s #1 leading waste oil boiler manufacturer.
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