Can someone explain to me alternatives to gasoline such as biodiesel and electrically powered cars?

Question

such as what they do.. advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 1

I helped write a wiki article on this subject, so instead of repeating what I said there, I'll just provide you with the link so you can check it out yourself.  Electric cars and hybrids are the best option in the near future though.

Answer 2

If you want an electric car that you could some day charge on your own by solar or wind power, I would watch for lithium sulfur batteries to come out, they claim to be very efficient and light weight, much better than lithium ion which is still VERY Expensive to convert into your car.

Answer 3

The main differences between combustion engines ( Diesel, gas, or any other liquid fuel) and alternative energy fuels is their availability, charging or filling opportunities and their operational use. The reason alternative fuels are catching on after so many years of denial by Detroit and government executives is that the pumping of oil sources is running down. They, the ones who are supposed to know, say that in ten more years or so oil would be relegated to museum status, like the dinosaurs.

Spartawo...

Answer 4

Bio diesel is diesel fuel made from oils such as peanut oil or vegetable oil. Its often mixed with petroleum derived diesel. The first people to make this stuff collected used oil from deep fat fryers at restaurants.

The main advantages of bio diesel were that the fat was usually free, and  burning it meant it didn't end up poured down the drain and clogging the sewers.

Bio diesel is renewable. Burning bio diesel is just as dirty as any other diesel fuel.

Now bio diesel demand has gone up. Not enough fat from restaurants to go around. So there is competition for the fresh oil  that we all use for food.

Electric cars use an electric motor either operated with a battery, solar cells, or a fuel cell. They run clean. Only the fuel cell powered car have any exhaust and its just water vapour.

Electricity to charge batteries and make hydrogen for fuel cells is only as clean as the prime mover at the generator station. There is already a real shortage of electric power because no one wants a power plant in their backyard.  So if the green stampede direction is toward hydrogen or battery then the price of electricity will skyrocket.

Batteries have a lot of issues. Environmental issues include lead, rubber, sulfuric acid in solution with lead sulphate and hydrogen peroxide. Lots of toxic materials. Charging issues mean it takes time to recharge batteries after driving. Thus useful range is really limited.

Hydrogen is used in a fuel cell. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen and the process generates electricity. Main problem is storage as hydrogen is liquid only at a very cold temperature. Boiling point is 20.28 degrees Kelvin. Lots of schemes being studied to cryogenically process, pressurize or store hydrogen in combination with other materials. These schemes all add to the weight of the hydrogen powered vehicle.

The solar cell powered car is usually only as robust as a bicycle with a light body over it. Speeds are typically low, though it is still faster than walking. Not sure how well they work on cloudy days but they don't operate at night.