When will we have a realistic alternative to petrol/diesel?

Question

I keep reading about alternate energy sources but will we seriously have to wait for oil to run out before we can actually drive around in a non-poluting car without having to refuel every 10 miles, pay £100,000 for the car and go 15mph???

Answer 1

There are already low-speed short-range electric vehicles available, and within the next year or two some high-speed long-range EVs will go into production.  

Available in California in October 2008, the Aptera typ-1e will cost about $27,000 with a top speed of 95 mph and range of 120 miles per charge.

http://www.aptera.com/details.php

Soon thereafter Aptera will introduce the typ-1h, a plug-in hybrid version of the typ-1e with a 40-60 mile range on purely electrical energy, and a range of over 600 miles total when in electric/gas hybrid mode, for around $30,000.  On a 120 mile trip, the typ-1h will get 300 miles per gallon.  The shorter the trip, the higher the efficiency.

http://www.aptera.com/details.php

Available in late 2009, the ZAP Alias will cost $30,000, have a top speed of 100 mph, and a range of 100 miles per charge.

http://zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/el...

Soon thereafter the ZAP-X will be available at a cost of $60,000 with a top speed of 155 mph and a range of 350 miles per charge.

http://zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/el...

Available in 2009, the Miles Javlon will cost $30,000 with a top speed of 80 mph and a range of 120 miles per charge.

http://www.milesev.com/index.asp#hsv.swf

Phoenix Motorcars will start selling their SUT to individuals in late 2008 or early 2009.  It will cost $45,000 and have a top speed of 100 mph with a range of 100+ miles per charge.

http://phoenixmotorcars.com/

Answer 2

When "they" decide.

Answer 3

I can finally say with some certainty we will be seeing vehicles that are at the same level as our current cars but will run off of other things like electricity.  There are quite a few electric cars due to come out this year and next.

Answer 4

all electric cars, with high performance will become more and more attractive within the next 10 years, and in 10 years, gasoline powered conventional cars will become obsolete.

Answer 5

there have always been realistic alternatives. Henry ford made electric cars.

and today the technology exists to go 200miles, outperform a ferrrari http://www.teslamotors.com, recharge in 10 minutes,

batteries that last 20years and are fully recyclable and have less nasty chemicals than typical coolant & exahust systems

unfortunatly the subsidies for infernal combustion (actual and  pollution http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independen... and the vested interests and the expense of bringing new cars to market conspire to stifle bringing evs to market if the global corps don't want to do it.

Unfortunatly if we waste all the oil in the next 10 years running infernal combustion there will not be any left for tyres, which each need about 8 gallons of oil, or tarmac, or plastic, or paint ...even for electric cars

Answer 6

use ethanol. and make sure your car has a catalytic converter

Answer 7

1999

Gen. 2 EV1

80mph [computer-limited, could go faster]

nickel batteries had a range of about 100 miles.

We'd make better ones, but car companies hate electric cars.

The rumors of low speed, short range, high cost are all disproven. I think they are around $30,000 now for conversions, and production ones will be cheaper if the oil executives stop shutting down our every effort to save the world.

Answer 8

there is a car going through tests now in France driven by air ,non polluting the price £2000 or there abouts but will it be sold in the UK, i doubt it very much government will put a block on it, the reason can you put a price on air, i think the government will find away to rip us of with tax.

Answer 9

Never grasshopper

Answer 10

Third-world countries have many solutions for this.

1. Use ethanol (alcohol). Can me made from virtually  anything organic, (mainly grains and sugar cane.) All you need is stronger engines to withstand the heat, or use ethanol/petrol blends. Many countries use full or part/blends for a cheap alternative.

2. Tropical countries use coconut oil, just crushed and filtered it can be put straight into diesel engines!!!

3. More expensive and not third-world but air power. A man invented a rotary motor running off compressed air!!!

It only weighed 13.2 kg, and doesn't overheat. (No need foe all this extra temperature modification equipment in cars, eg radiator.

His golf-buggy prototype easily made speeds of about 50km/h. He even started working on an even lighter and more powerful version.

You might ask, "But where does the air come from?"

Well, two fibre tanks, (not metal in case of rupture, fibre doesn't send shrapnel through air, just splits) and compressed by house-hold compressor. Although the power that drives the compressor comes from burning coal, it's till more efficient than petrol or diesel!!!

Enjoy!