Alternative Fuels

Alternative Fuel Vehicles and the Future

Alternative fuel vehicles are automobiles and other vehicles that run on fuels other than traditional diesel or gasoline.  Development of alternative fuel vehicles is on the rise as a result of fossil fuel taxes and changing environmental regulations.  Alternative fuel vehicles include electric cars, gasoline-electric hybrid cars and solar powered vehicles. 

Air-Powered Vehicles

Air-powered cars have zero emissions and use compressed air to power a piston.  The expansion of the compressed air occurs when regular air at normal temperature mixes with the expanded cold air in the car's storage tank. The only emission caused by the technology is cold air (-15 Celsius or 5 degrees Fahrenheit ). The exhaust in an air powered vehicle can be used to integrate the air conditioning.  Cold air is delivered from a carbon-fiber tank and injected into the engine where expansion caused by the warm air drives the pistons (modified to allow more heat transfer

Air powered vehicles can carry five passengers from 100 to 200 miles depending on driving and traffic conditions.  Cooking oil can be used to lubricate the parts in an air powered car engine. The only needs changed every 30,000 miles.   

Benefits:

-         Expanded range – new carbon fiber technologies have increased initial range.

-         No emissions – cold air only

-         Cheap refills – approximately $3.00 to fill up the tank

-         Economical maintenance schedules

Battery- Electric Vehicles

Battery-Electric Vehicles (BEVs) utilize the chemical energy of batteries for power and have been around since the 1950s.  BEVs are the most common type of ZEV or Zero Emission Passenger Automobiles.  BEVs typically generate power from battery packs consisting of one or multiple types of the following battery types: Lead-acid, Absorbed Glass Mat, NiCd, Nickel Metal Hydride Li-ion, Li-Poly or Zinc-Air.

Traditional battery-powered vehicles use lead-acid batteries and have limited range and speed.  Most of vehicles of this type lose power generation if their batteries are consistently discharged below 75 percent. 

NiMH batteries are also common but are much more expensive than lead-acid batteries.

One of the most respected and successful electric car companies is ZAP.  ZAP produces innovative electric cars, scooters and mobile devices by utilizing their multiple U.S. Patents to stand out from its competitors.

Check it out for yourself: they take reservations. 

www.ZapWorld.com

Hybrid Vehicles

The most popular type of alternative fuel car is the hybrid.   They are called hybrids because they use two or more types of propulsion systems combining the gasoline engine with electric drive motors.  Hybrids have been very successful at converting energy produced from the vehicle and breaking it into stored energy for vehicle propulsion.  Another advantage of hybrid vehicles is their scalability i.e. they range in size from small scooters to large transit buses.

 
Advantages:

         -     Hybrids offer more miles per gallon than traditional gas vehicles and generate lower emissions

         -     Have capacity to store energy in high-traffic areas whereas combustion engines keep running

         -     Hybrid vehicles run quietly, resulting in little noise pollution in comparison to gas or diesel cars

         -     Tax breaks are available fpr those who purchase hybrids (dependent upon the model and fuel efficiency)

Disadvantages:

         -     Relatively high purchase cost (though typically offset by fuel savings)