Fuel of the future

[Groucho]

As a self-confessed car nut, I was thinking of what we, as a planet, will use to power the car 100 years from now. Obviously there is the Diesel engine, which can be powered using vegetable oil, which is also low on pollutants. This would give a relatively seamless transition from petrol/diesel to the new stuff provided that we could produce enough of the stuff, and that better filters for the fuel could be developed. Then there is hydrogen fuel, for which Honda has developed and tested the Clarity in California. This has zero emissions (it's exhaust is water) and has similar range and power to modern petrol/diesel motors.

Honda Clarity

Personally, I'd like to see one of the above options as the electric motor alone doesn't seem to be practically applicable to modern usage. While electric motors do produce enough power, it's limited range and sheer charge times are problematic. My efforts to produce a sawdust powered engine have fallen flat so what's your opinion folks?

 

[BlueLlama]

NSFW lads

 

[DualityNSNO]

While supposedly good (I did a project involving a mini-hydrogen car and 'charging station') - it is dangerous, inefficient (compared to almost all current cars and engines) and very expensive.

I, for one, want a perpetual motion engine powered vehicle.

 

[SerenityNigh]

I'm hopeful that battery technology improves significantly, but I think we're more likely to see a new hybrid tech that will work. Cant' see single-source fuel being the way of the (long-term) future.

 

[RaleighBlue]

I think it'll end up battery powered. There have been a few breakthroughs recently to allow a much greater range in fully electric vehicles and there is a decent amount of financial support behind companies like Tesla that seem to be making the breakthrough.

I will miss the sounds though.

 

[Groucho]

While supposedly good (I did a project involving a mini-hydrogen car and 'charging station') - it is dangerous, inefficient (compared to almost all current cars and engines) and very expensive.

I, for one, want a perpetual motion engine powered vehicle.

Dangerous in what way? Unstable?

 

[SerenityNigh]

Tesla do make some boss rides. There are two Model S floating around my town

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

There's still plenty of life left in the next generation super efficient diesel engines, which will be increasingly seen as electric hybrids in coming years.

The 313 mpg Volkswagen XL1 shows how the market will start moving. That car was built as a concept, but is now in limited production, but a lot of the technology used will make it's way into mass produced cars over the coming years.

 

[DualityNSNO]

Dangerous in what way? Unstable?

Side-dangers is what I'd call them, but - hydrogen is a gas that, in the presence of an oxidiser (oxygen being one), burns easier than gasoline, can explode, and so forth.

It is also a gas, which, well, is always slightly more dangerous. As I said - more ignitable and burns easier than gasoline, and it takes only a spark of static electricity (like from your fingers, for example) to set it off.

Also when/if it burns - hydrogen flames are invisible, which makes the flames harder to put out or avoid.

You can also suffocate, as it can deprive you of oxygen, even if it is not a poisonous gas.

I know that the hydrogen in the cells is 'diluted', which makes it about as flammable as gasoline and a lot more safer, but these are the dangers I was talking about in general. Suppose it's nothing too far from the cons of having gasoline in your car...

Also as a 'pro' - hydrogen fires catch on very hard, so a secondary fire is somewhat unlikely (despite the fact you won't even be seeing in the first place).

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

The other issue with hydrogen as a power source is the energy used to create hydrogen in the first place. If that's from carbon fuelled power stations then the net benefit to the environment is questionable

 

[DualityNSNO]

The other issue with hydrogen as a power source is the energy used to create hydrogen in the first place. If that's from carbon fuelled power stations then the net benefit to the environment is questionable

Also you'd have to refill your tank about 5 times more (might be an exaggeration, don't remember the number, but it's still bigger than 'normal'), based on our experiments...

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

When Mnsr Derv unveiled his diesel engine at The Paris motor show in the earl part of the last century he had it running on Baby Oil.


Anyone see the leccy car that Will.I.Am has ?

 

[tsubaki]

Electric power derived from nuclear fusion and renewables for mass transportation and the supply networks, everything else people will walk or cycle for.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Electric power derived from nuclear fusion and renewables for mass transportation and the supply networks, everything else people will walk or cycle for.

Man would die of hunger and thirst in an arid wasteland before he'd give up his wheels mate.

 

[Garrick]

I think Volkswagen/Audi has it right by betting on biofuels as the next immediate "fuel of the future"

There's a startup here in 'Murrica they just invested in that has a process that blows the efficiency of corn or even sugar ethanol out of the water. Consumes a ton less water and land.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/martinlamonica/2012/09/17/audi-places-its-biofuel-bets-on-joule/

The distribution system already exists for biofuels, we can just use all of our existing gas stations and investments into the internal combustion engine.

Hopefully one day electricity will still replace it, but the storage and transmission capabilities of electricity are still way behind good ol' fashioned hydrocarbons.