In a world of every growing technology that is constantly seeking to improve and refine itself, many scientists and car manufacturers are working together to come up with alternative fuel sources to power our transportation. Due to the lower resource of fossil fuels, and growing rates of green house gases, it is more than just money we need to save by seeking alternative fuel sources.
In order to prevent our transportation from poisoning our planet, a number of possible alternative fuel sources for automobiles are being created. Many of them have not yet reached the public’s eye, but you see more and more options coming into the light.
Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular, from the Hybrid models to the kind that you can plug in at night to recharge. Flex cars and smart cars and rolling out of dealerships and into consumer hands to be test driven and trial owned to get an idea of how well they will do in a fast paced high demand market. Many of these cars are still Hybrid models, meaning that although they get most of their fuel from a rechargeable battery, they still have a tank full of gas just in case you lose your charge. Electric cars are being spotted everywhere these days, and as manufacturers and mechanics work out more the bugs in them, the value of these cars increase. They save money, pollute less and look cool.
Solar cars is another car that is being tested on the market these days. You don’t see as many of them on the roadways yet though, as the mechanics and engineers are still working out many bugs and defects. Not to mention they are still highly expensive. These Solar cars run off of the suns energy and as long as you have day light, you have a fully running and equipped automobile. Many of these Solar Cars could be put into a category with Electric cars, as they do generally run off of electric parts, but they are powered by the sun. This is a cool possibility for alternative fuels for automobiles, if only they could figure out what you do when it gets dark…
Vegetable oils are not only a possible fuel source; they are one of the leaders in alternative fuel sources for vehicles that are going green. These engines can be fueled by a number of well used and processed oils and use much less fuel than the traditional gasoline engine. Not only that, but these oils are widely available, easily manufactured and emit very little waste or toxins into the air.
There have also been rumors of vehicles that already run completely from Hydrogen, and even many backyard mechanics have discovered the benefits of adding a Hydrogen system to any gasoline engine. Just adding hydrogen alone gives a gasoline car extra horse power, uses less fuel and gives out only oxygen as its waste. Once the fine tuning of a complete Hydrogen engine is finalized, we should have cars that are able to run almost purely from water.
One last source for discussion of possible alternative fuels for automobiles is Methane gas. If only they could find a way to take the scent out it, we would have an almost perfect combustible fuel source. Methane gas is found in the excrement of mammals and land animals, especially the excrement of humans and cattle. If they were to refine a system for it, every car owner could fill up their own tank any time they had to use the restroom! Which means these vehicles are likely to be equipped with some sort of built in toilet. The bonuses of this system would be that you would pay the same amount to fuel your car as you do for your meals, and the waste is non toxic (other than the smell).
These are not all the possible alternative fuels for automobiles, but so many are surfacing in today’s world that it is becoming hard to keep track of them all. It is anybody’s guess at what new and amazing automobile technology will come next.