Alternative Fuels of the Future

Standard gasoline is a finite resource, which has scientists and drivers starting to pay attention to the alternative fuels of the future.

Solar recharging is one alternative to internal combustion that has been around for a long time. Solar-powered cars have been in development for decades, but solar batteries have not so far proved efficient or powerful enough to power a modern car at a significant speed for any great distance under normal weather conditions. Efficiency of solar cells is being improved all the time, however, and solar power could still have its “day in the sun” as an alternative fuel of the future.

Biodiesel is another area where a significant amount of scientific research and development has already been invested. Crops including corn, wheat, and sugar cane can be harvested and converted into “biofuel”—usually ethanol-based. In fact, the enthusiasm for biofuels has created its own problems, as in some areas it has reduced the amount of farming land available to produce food for local populations. Biodiesel also has some of the same environmental implications as gasoline, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (although it contains far less of other polluting chemicals). Thus, while it is certainly a renewable energy source, there is disagreement among scientists and motorists about whether biodiesel is truly an alternative fuel of the future.

But if solar recharging and biodiesel from ground crops don't sound as though they're quite going to replace your unleaded gasoline any time soon, there are other options. Scientists have been excited about algae for a long time. As the world's population grows, and natural resources dwindle, many believe that simple algae, which grows abundantly in our oceans, could point the way both to alternative fuels of the future, and also to potential sources of food for future generations. It could be a practical, if not exactly appetizing, solution.

Hydrogen fuel cells are another potential fuel of the future, and one which is already being taken very seriously indeed. Hydrogen is a “lighter than air gas” which is estimated to make up as much as 75% of all matter in the universe. It's therefore both abundant and fairly simple to derive from both water and air. The widespread uptake of hydrogen fuel cells would, however, require massive investment in transport infrastructure: first, in terms of transporting and storing hydrogen gas, and second, in converting cars to run on the material, which differs from ethanol in that it requires making major changes to cars' engines.

There's also some concern over the safety of hydrogen as a widespread fuel. It is highly explosive when mixed with oxygen, which is why we don't use the gas to power airships anymore! Any new technology will bring its own challenges, and sooner or later we will have to choose one option or the other to replace dwindling reserves of crude oil.