What alternative fuels exist that could be used to power cars within the next two decades?

Question

Can I have few examples with pro's and con's please, also mention how far from having working prototypes they are if you know.

Thanks.

Answer 1

VSNR

Very

Small

Nuclear

Reactor

Answer 2

The funny thing about all of these alternatives is that we still need oil to make plastic to make the little cars you want.

Answer 3

Hydrogen

Nuclear

Geothermal

ocean current and wind

Solar

fossil fuels

Bio fuels

Answer 4

Very small cars:

pro-they use less gas and they're already being sold. Also they're cheap

con: lots of people don't want them because they're too small

Electric:

pros: zero emissions

cons: smaller range, smaller power

Hydrogen

pros: zero emissions. Efficient.

cons: nowhere near perfection of technology

Solar/wind (cars with solar panels and little wind mills on their roofs)

pros: zero emissions, cheap

cons: unreliable, not enough power

These are just some of the many, many, possibilities. Hope I helped!

Answer 5

hydrogen fuel cells are efficient and have no emissions.  The only problem is it takes more energy to isolate hydrogen than it does to just use gas in the first place.  If we could find a reasonable way to get H2 wed be set.

Answer 6

All combustion engines, gas and or diesel will require hydrocarbon based fuels, e.g, petroleum, diesel, alcohol, oils, natural gas, etc.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology

Electric motors

Hybrid

Steam engines

Nuclear and solar power and use of one of the above engines

Answer 7

There aren't any--at least in terms of fuels that would be available on a scale that fossil fuels are.

Answer 8

"Plug-In Hybrids

Gas: Optional

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) are outfitted with a battery pack sufficient to power the vehicle from 20 to 60 miles on battery charge alone. Considering that half the cars on America’s roads are driven 25 miles a day or less, a plug-in with a 25-mile range battery could eliminate gasoline use in the daily commute of millions of Americans. The cost of an equivalent electric gallon of gas is estimated to be less than $1.00."

Key PHEV Attributes:

"Gets about twice the fuel economy of a conventional vehicle and 30-50% better fuel economy than a standard hybrid

Plugs into a standard (120-volt) home electrical outlet to receive charge

Depending on design and battery size can be driven 20 to 60 miles without the use of gasoline."

Some of our electricity is generated without emitting CO2 now, and that will increase as we adopt cleaner means of generation from alternative energy like wind and solar.   As stated below, even with coal generated power, it is an improvement over all gasoline vehicles.

"Further studies are being done on the cumulative emissions impact if electricity for plug-in hybrids is generated by coal. It is already apparent, however, that powering plug-ins, even with coal, would be cleaner in almost every area of the country, if not every area.

Additionally, emissions would be concentrated in one location that is often away from critically-endangered air sheds. Also, it is less difficult to control emissions from a relatively few number of smokestacks rather than millions of vehicle tail pipes. And, efforts to clean up coal plants and other emissions will continue."

http://www.pluginpartners.org/

Answer 9

No fuel exists that could supply nearly as much energy as oil products. Electricity is not viable without far more efficient storage. Burning other carbon products is possible but has less efficiency, and notable pollution. Oil basically has a lot of accumulated solar energy, gathered over thousands of years. We're just running low on an energy source.