subject: 3 Most Likely Options For Carbon Free Cars [print this page] It is inevitable that before too long, using traditional fuels such as petrol and diesel to power cars will not be an option. Not only is there growing concern over the use of these fuels having an extremely negative effect on the environment, but it is also true that supplies are drying up in many parts of the world and costs are going to steadily increase. We humans are an innovative bunch though and have been working on alternatives for many decades. Some of the options that have been developed are more feasible than others and here is a breakdown of the three most likely to succeed.
Battery Powered. Cars that have been powered by batteries are nothing new, but they are never really worked well enough to be a practical solution for everyone. The closest people have come to making a decent car with batteries are hybrid cars, and these of course still rely heavy on combustion engines. However, as batteries become more efficient, lighter and easier to charge, they are becoming more suitable for traditional car usage and could be a great option in future.
Hydrogen Powered. Put simply, hydrogen power means extracting energy from hydrogen by reacting it with oxygen. Many experts are claiming that this will be the future and is a much more practical option than battery power. Refuelling hydrogen cells takes a fraction of battery charge time and the energy is a lot cleaner to produce. However, as with most things there are still issues that need ironing out before mass production of hydrogen cars and fuelling stations can be achieved. The current hydrogen fuel cells are not completely stable yet when subject to the sometimes aggressive movements that they will experience in cars. Also, there are concerns over the functioning of the cells under zero degrees Celsius, which would rule them out in many countries instantly.
Solar Powered . The cleanest and most sustainable option by a long way is solar power. As the earth receives almost all of its energy from the sun in the first place, it makes sense to use it to power cars. Again there are road blocks to making this work though. Firstly, not all countries receive enough sun to power their cars and if there are a couple of days of cloud cover, solar powered cars are unlikely to move anywhere. Secondly, solar power does not convert very well into horse power and so cars need to be very light and have a big surface area to move at any speed. However, as solar panels become more efficient all the time and there are more options for storing solar power now for long periods of time, it could very well be the power of choice in the future.
