What Will Be The Predominant Energy Sources for Cars In 2020
The ICE (internal combustion engine) has been around for over one hundred years, and so far, there is no other technology that is as efficient for the running of vehicles. There are many alternative-energy powered car designs available, and the hybrid is the most effective- because it is partly powered by gasoline. However, there are some good possibilities in the future; here we will learn about some of the energy sources that will be powering cars by 2020.
Electricity
The hybrid electric car is one that relies partly on an electric battery for its power, as opposed to today's hybrids which rely on gas power and the energy of their movement. The hybrid electric uses a battery to run at idle and low speeds, and the gas engine only comes on at high speed. The other design runs a gas motor at idle and low, and adds the battery at high speeds. These barely qualify as alternative energy vehicles because of their need for gasoline; a third design currently in the works (the plug-in hybrid) would escape that limitation because the battery would be charged through external means.
Hydrogen
The hydrogen car is one that uses a hydrogen-filled fuel cell to generate electricity that powers the engine. This seems like a good idea because of the abundance of hydrogen, and the fact that the car's only waste product is pure water. In nature, hydrogen is always part of a molecule, and breaking it down into atoms is labor and energy intensive. The hydrogen fuel cell is also very fragile, and that is just one of the reasons why hydrogen is not yet a viable source of alternative energy.
Natural Gas
CNG (compressed natural gas) cars are powered by that fuel, as opposed to gasoline. The CNG car is far less reliant on foreign oil, and it runs cleaner. The main drawback to this type of car is the lack of a fuel distribution network, and for right now, CNGs are normally used for fleet work such as city buses, postal deliveries and government work.
Air
The TATA company of India recently debuted the OneCAT, which is run with compressed air. It can be filled with a compressor, or by plugging in for four hours. The car has a range of fifty-six miles and a top speed of 62 miles per hour.
Electricity
Electric cars eliminate the need for an internal combustion engine, using a battery to power the motor and drawing the battery's power from the grid. These cars usually have limited range and low speeds, but there are some exceptions to the rule. However, these exceptions are prohibitively expensive. Future improvements to battery design will allow the electric car to take market share from conventional automobiles.
Biofuels
Fuels suchas biodiesel and ethanol are sometimes classed as alternative fuels in that they can be substituted for gasoline. However, their only advantage over conventional fuels is that they reduce reliance on petroleum products. Biofuels are far from "green" because they still create greenhouse gases, and they frequently cost more energy to create than they give off when they are burned. Sugarcane ethanol is more efficient than corn ethanol, but the goal behind the corn ethanol program is to garner votes in areas where corn production is high.
Solar Energy
The market is very limited; there is only one car available (an electric-solar hybrid called the Astrolab). Using solar power to operate a car is impractical as of now, and solar powered cars are used by hobbyists and scientists only.