Despite the onset of the latest high energy price era, it goes without saying that the car will remain the main mode of transportation in the United States as the 21st century progresses. First mass-produced on a national scale by Henry Ford, subsidized by the construction and expansion of the public interstate highway system after World War II, and immortalized by such films as George Lucas's American Graffiti (1973), the car and car culture is intrinsic to modern American life.
The car fuel alternatives
Cheap oil is not intrinsic, however, and that's a major reason why the nation is exploring car / vehicle fuel alternatives. Many options exist, each with strengths / weaknesses, and currently there's no clear winner.
Hence, in a very real sense, your say in the matter will play an important role in determining what fuel most Americans will use for car transportation in the decades ahead.
Here's a brief description of each, with their strengths / weaknesses:
- Gasoline - A widely-available fuel. However, it does little to reduce the nation's trade deficit or stem climate change. Further, gasoline is unlikely to be 'cheap' again.
- Diesel - A gallon of diesel gets more miles per gallon than gasoline, but its higher cost typically reflects that. Very popular in Europe, diesels are becoming cleaner, but still pollute.
- Ethanol - Corn-based ethanol is an oil substitute, but it's not as efficient as gasoline or diesel, and it's forced food prices higher. The corn fuel movement also has sparked environmental concerns, due to the net energy delivered, and the displacement of traditional crops.
- Flex fuel - Ethanol / gasoline flex fuel cars will increase in the years ahead, but they possess ethanol's and gasoline's demerits.
- Hybrid electric/gasoline - The e/g hybrid is gaining in popularity, with U.S. and foreign auto makers introducing new models each year. Still, consumers will have to weigh the often substantially higher purchase price for these vehicles, as well as the possibility of a new technology making them less economical to drive.
- 100% Electric cars - An affordable, 100% electric car appears to be at least 10 years away, probably longer.
- Hydrogen fill-up - Hydrogen has appeal, but currently there are fewer than 100 hydrogen filling stations in the U.S., which restricts travel. Also, global warming will not decrease if that hydrogen is made from coal / natural gas-fired electric power generation plants.
- Hydrogen fuel cell – Like a 100% electric car, an affordable hydrogen fuel cell appears to be at least 10 years away, barring a breakthrough, with the technology most likely to be deployed in buses and larger, commercial vehicles first.
Which fuel system is best for cars? Which type of car do you prefer to drive? Let us know what you think.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-20-2008 @ 6:07PM
elogco said...
Ft. Worth, Tx already runs its bus fleet on natural gas. Therefore, if municipalities convert their mass transit and street vehicles to hydrogen fuel cells, I would image that should put a huge dent in the oil market, just need a new administration and the politicaL will to make it happen. Of course, there are those who will say just let the market do it. Well, it wasn't the sacrosanct market that got us to to the moon, was it?
8-20-2008 @ 8:56PM
BOB Schaffer said...
Look for Hydrogen and gas mix to change over the existing cars with simple kits and electric power from ocean waves to recharge up electric cars. Cheaper energy and the collapse of oil to 1950 level prices. The hydrogen age officially starts in 2010!
8-21-2008 @ 9:45AM
Dr. Jeffrey B. Zeiger said...
Greetings: Your comments below stating:
"Ethanol - Corn-based ethanol is an oil substitute, but it's not as efficient as gasoline or diesel, and it's forced food prices higher. The corn fuel movement also has sparked environmental concerns, due to the net energy delivered, and the displacement of traditional crops."
This is simply not true and when stating these comments, the public would appreciate some statistics to support your claims...let me help you out.
Energy balance is not even the right question to answer. It is not the energy balance of ethanol that matters but the energy balance of ethanol relative to the energy balance of gasoline. Dr. Wang at Argonne National Labs has built one of the most rigorous and transparent public models for energy balance calculations. His results indicate that corn ethanol has almost twice the energy balance compared to gasoline, yet this crucial fact is seldom mentioned in the press. According to the majority of studies, corn ethanol has an energy balance between 1.3-1.8 while gasoline is substantially worse, at about 0.8 (since it takes energy to extract, transport, refine and handle gasoline). Further to this, I would direct you and the readers to the Alternative Fuels Institute's website; http://www.fieldstofuel.org and you will find the statistics and research about the misleading comments in your article. Cheers, Dr. Jeff Zeiger, Executive Director of the Alternative Fuels Institute.