For more than a century, the internal combustion engine, whether powered by gasoline or diesel, has dominated the automobile environment. Electricity and Hydrogen could be the fuels of future. Cars with modest on-board generators, improved batteries, or hydrogen tanks will one day be as common as gasoline cars.
That isn’t a dream.
Despite the challenges, major automakers throughout the world are spending extensively on electrification of mass-produced cars in order to satisfy national fuel economy, clean air, and energy independence targets. Consumer acceptance of electric vehicles is increasing, if slowly, as more models are introduced. Billions of dollars have been spent on battery and hydrogen fuel cell technologies, and those funds are unlikely to be squandered.
More than a dozen alternative fuels are being manufactured or developed for alternative fuel cars and advanced technology vehicles. Most of these fuels and cars are used primarily by government and private-sector vehicle fleets, although individual customers are becoming more interested in them. Using alternative fuels and sophisticated cars instead of conventional fuels and automobiles helps the US save fuel and reduce vehicle emissions.
However, it does not have an indefinite future in its current form because it is still heavily reliant on non-renewable fossil resources.
A model that is unsustainable because of variable fuel prices.
The government is also under continual pressure to develop greener means to fuel automobiles, and has committed to prohibit the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. As a result, many future fuels are being proposed to replace today’s crude oil-fueled engines, all of which have one thing in common — the potential to be independent of non-renewable fuels.
Here are the eight potential fuels that might power your automobile in the next decades.
Biofuel
Biofuels are created from maize and sugarcane, whereas biodiesel is made from vegetable oils and animal fats. Bioethanol (which may be used instead of gasoline) is made from corn and sugarcane. Both should replace nonrenewable crude oil-derived fuels. Second generation biofuels that are produced from sustainable sources rather than those developed for food are the best. Many people believe they are the best medium-term alternative for sustainable fuels.
Biodiesel is a sustainable fuel produced in the United States that may be prepared from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled grease for diesel cars or any equipment that runs on diesel fuel. The physical qualities of biodiesel are comparable to those of petroleum diesel.
Electricity
The electric automobile, which is propelled by a motor and fueled by batteries, is gaining popularity, because of vehicles such as the India’s best-selling electric vehicle, Tata Nexon EV. However, battery efficiency is still restricted, thus most give a maximum range of roughly 100 miles (and take several hours to recharge).
Batteries for electric vehicles are also highly pricey. This is a minor disadvantage when compared to the selection of economy batteries available for petrol vehicles. Electric automobiles are now the most commercially viable answer, with various versions ranging from Rs 10,00,000 to Rs 2,00,00,000 on the market today, with Tesla’s Model S serving as a milestone example.
Hydrogen
In combustion engines, hydrogen can be utilised instead of fossil fuels. Only water is emitted by hydrogen automobiles, which emit no hazardous tailpipe emissions. Critics argue it shifts energy consumption away from the plant that produces hydrogen, and that there is presently no hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in place.
BMW already offers hydrogen cars, and it was recently revealed that new hydrogen automobiles “will be offered all over the world.” Hydrogen may also be utilised to generate energy by powering a fuel cell. This is often regarded as one of the greatest long-term energy sources for automobiles: it emits no pollution and overcomes the limits of onboard batteries.
However, fuel cell technology is now prohibitively costly.
Hydrogen, when used in a fuel cell to generate electricity, is a zero-emission alternative fuel derived from a variety of energy sources. Drivers of light-duty fuel cell electric cars (FCEVs) can already fill up in less than 5 minutes and have a driving range of over 300 miles. There are currently research and commercial activities underway to extend the limited hydrogen fuelling infrastructure and increase FCEV manufacturing.
LPG
LPG is an abbreviation for liquefied petroleum gas, which is a sort of ‘liquid gas’ that may be used as fuel for several applications, including powering automobiles. While it was previously intentionally burned off and squandered, it is now recognised as a flexible low-carbon fuel — and is being used profitably. Although LPG is commonly used in homes and businesses, it fuels fewer than 1% of automobiles on UK roads. According to UKLPG, the UK trade group for the LPG sector, there are around 1,400 LPG refuelling stations across the country, with over 8,500 filling stations total.
Natural gas, a gaseous fuel generated in the United States, is easily accessible via utility infrastructure. This clean-burning alternative fuel, whether generated conventionally or renewablely, must be compressed or liquefied before it can be used in automobiles.
Ethanol
Ethanol is a biofuel derived from corn and other plant materials. Ethanol is widely used, with over 98 percent of gasoline in the United States containing some ethanol. E10 is the most prevalent ethanol mix (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline). Ethanol is also available as E85 (or flex fuel), a high-level ethanol blend that contains 51 percent to 83 percent ethanol depending on geography and season, for flexible fuel vehicles. Another mix, E15, is expanding its market dominance. It is legal for 2001 and newer light-duty conventional gas automobiles.
Some very lesser known fuels of future
Steam
Steam automobiles have been present since the nineteenth century, but have since been surpassed by versions powered by internal combustion engines. Some believe they can now reciprocate the favour. They are ‘external combustion engines,’ so the fuel is combusted outside of the engine, lowering pollution. There are various ideas for current high-power steam engines in automobiles.
Kinetic
Many electric vehicles (as well as an increasing number of internal combustion engine vehicles) incorporate brake energy regeneration systems, which convert braking energy into electric energy. The adoption of such systems is likely to rise in the future in order to better harness the movement energy of an automobile and so consume less fuel overall.
Heat
Two-thirds of the energy produced by gasoline or diesel is lost as heat. Thermoelectric technology, which transforms heat into power, can help with this and is already being developed by many automotive manufacturers. Using thermoelectric panels to convert waste exhaust pipe heat into energy is one approach can reduce fuel use by 5%.
Nitrogen
High-pressure gas may be produced by heating liquid nitrogen held in a pressurised tank. This may power both a piston and a rotary engine. However, liquid nitrogen is a less efficient energy transporter than fossil fuels and requires power to create.
