We have the technology, why dont we use it?

Question

and by this i mean alternative energy sources for vehicles. If we have the technology to make cars that run on BioFuel and Hydrogen (http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/) This is Honda's Hydrogen Car, and E85, FlexFuel all those things, then why do we not start mass producing these? Gas prices are going up, and not coming down anytime soon. The technology is there, USE IT !!

Answer 1

The cost to change over the infrastructure is enormous.  Replacing all the gas tanks with hytdrogen tanks is a huge cost and that doesn't include the productionn and transportation cost

Plus Google a video of the Hindenburg.  Driving around on a tank of hydrogen isn't all that safe yet.

BioFuel isn't effecient to use on a large scale yet.  When you calculate the production and storage and collection of all the fuel it is not really efficient.

Answer 2

Hydrogen is not an alternative energy source.  There's nothing on this planet that you can bore a hole in and suck hydrogen out.  The only way to get hydrogen energy is to put in more energy from another source (like electricity, from coal).  Financially, that'll work, but practically, we have no excess electricity generation capacity on this PLANET so we won't be doing that any time soon.  One or two guys can do it, but we can't all do it.

All this talk about hydrogen is about using it only a way to store energy, and it's not a good one. You don't get much hydrogen in a 5 gallon bucket.  So this idea that hydrogen solves something is just a very widespread misconception, due to people who control the media being too stupid to understand what the discussion is about.  

Now - as far as your non-question about biofuel, have you any idea which one you're dissatisfied about?  And why?  How many billions of gallons does it take before you consider it "mass production"?  Let us know.

Answer 3

Alternative energy vehicles are still too impractical to be used on a massive scale. The fuels and technologies are still too expensive.

Oil and gas in the internal combustion engine is still the most efficient and practical fuel and technology available......even at the present high prices of oil.

More than 10 ethanol companies have gone bankrupt this year even with the generous give away programs in the form of subsidies paid by the government.