Alternative fuel/propulsion technologies you're most excited about???

[Scotsman]

This afternoon I saw a MKIV Golf that made a slightly louder engine noise than a gas powered car, and as it pulled off I noticed it didn't just say diesel on the back but "BIODIESEL". Up until today I had no idea VWOA ever offered such a car in the U.S. but at one point it looks like they did. Anyways, I got pretty excited as diesel is the most appealing alternative fuel to me for a variety of reasons: 1) there are a host of alternative means of producing diesel that are independent of petroleum as an additive, we just have yet to figure out a way to produce diesel petrol free that is economically viable, but the day will come. 2) Obviously this means we get to keep the combustion engine 3) Obvious serious advantages in fuel economy over gas 4) Less engine maintenance. The list goes on....

[DGthe3]

I am looking forward to plug-ins the most. But I've heard of a way that they could produce biodiesel from extracting oils from algea fed by CO2. 100 times more productive/acre vs regular farming

[AirGoya]

hydrogen just makes sense.
you put in hydrogen. you combine it with air and out comes water.

[NOODLESgoneWILD]

Originally Posted by AirGoya

hydrogen just makes sense.
you put in hydrogen. you combine it with air and out comes water.

Agreed^^^^^^^^


Still a long ways away from going into producting...But by far the most eco friendly of the rest!

[Scotsman]

How about liquid hydrogen???

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Scotsman

How about liquid hydrogen???

If you can develop a cheap, and easy way to keep liquid hydrogen in liquid form while onboard cars...you'll be GM's hero forever.

I for one am in favor of a hydro/solar/wind/clean-coal powered grid and electric cars running off of it. (i.e. Volt)
And to power that little generator on board, as well as our big-honkin' V8s...or V6's, I like Ethanol. It just makes sense to me, when you look at switchgrass, or garbage dumps...there's just nothing that seems wrong about it to me. Nothin'.

Apart from that, I think it's kind of a cool concept to have compressed-air powered vehicles. From what I understand, it works the same as an IC engine, except no fuel or spark. Just air. Cylinder goes up; WHOOSH cylinder goes down. Cylinder goes up again; WHOOSH cylinder goes down. It's twice as efficient as our current engines. And you'd get to keep something of an exaust note.
3-5 minutes to pressurize-up, and about 200 miles on one "tank".

I also hear about salt-water cars. Something about radio waves, and salt water seems to make a big boom. IC engines could be adapted to that concept.

[The_Stache]

Plugin's... If i can get a plug in that will run for atleast 25 miles and charge in less than 8 hours my commute will become 0 gas.

20 miles to work, and my boss will let me plug in at work (the building we rent comes will electric as part of the lease, so all usage is same fee), charge for 8 hours and then 20 miles home.

[Scotsman]

Biodiesel excluding additives using food sources but rather things like algae and the aforementioned "diesel tree" have huge, HUGE potential and will emit next to nothing. Production methods by means of genetic engineering and so fourth have to be worked out though to make this a workable solution for the real world, but it's possible and holds great promise.

[stovt001]

All of the above, or maybe none of the above. I predict that when I'm an older man and my kids are learning how to drive, they'll learn in a vehicle that makes the Volt look like a gas hog. So many alternate fuel ideas have been "shot down", but we're just learning all the ways to not do alt. fuels right. Eventually, we'll find the solution, and it will rock our world. Here's to the future!

[TAG UR IT]

Man, you gotta be kidding me....I can't pick more than one???????

Guess I can here....mild electric, full elec, hydrogen, cellulosic, diesel in that order.

[TFord]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

If you can develop a cheap, and easy way to keep liquid hydrogen in liquid form while onboard cars...you'll be GM's hero forever.

Hydrogen....well being a Submariner I dont do H2! we have to make our own O2 to breathe. to do this we use electrolysis which gives you O2 and H2. H2 is very volatile with enough H2 in a small area it will go boom...enough H2 in the same area with O2 equals boom....I cant do hydrogen, on the boat when theres a prob with the O2 generators we all go running to the opposite side of the boat! driving a ticking time bomb!!! could you imagine what car accidents would start looking like....or even better highway pileups! the day hydrogen hits the streets is the day I turn in my liscense!!

[rocketman 12]

I'm a farmer, so....Ethanol, of course!

[AirGoya]

But for right now, i say Ethanol all the way!!!

If we produce enough of it (Increase supply) wont the price go down low enough so that its cheaper than gas??

[JaysonAych]

There have been some good advances made in hydrogen storage using chemical pellets that themselves are safe to store and usually require only water to start the chemical reaction to separate the hydrogen. Once something like that is perfected and made cost-effective, I think hydrogen will be the way to go. It's probably another 15-20 years off before it can be feasibly applied, but it's a much better long-term solution than hybrids.