Alternative Energy Sources for Vehicles Or Operating Unconventionally

By Emmanuel Saintfleur


Everyone is constantly keeping an eye out for new sources of fuel due to the constantly high price of gasoline. Drivers are generally upset that they pay more every time they refill at the gas pump. One optimistic result of this is that possibly they will consider saving fuel by finding new ways to get from place to place. People do things centered on how much money they have got available. As long as they have enough cash, they aren't that concerned with wasting it. The people mainly behind the push for new energy sources are the ones who are more concerned with the environment and what petroleum-based fuel is doing to it. Because of these folks, we now have cars that run on electricity or a combination of gas and electricity, and some that are powered by the sun.

Right now, you can even find cars using water-to-gas technology that use water to augment their gas. The rise of manufacturers building cars which use alternative fuels has had several contributing factors. The governments in quite a few countries, especially in Europe, have placed crushing taxes on fuels and are considering placing even greater restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing, and one of those happens to be carbon dioxide, which comes from the fossil fuels running most vehicles. This is triggering a rise in temperature, contributing to changes in climates and global warming.

Alternative power sources, such as LPG, ethanol, solar power, and hydrogen are already applied into car designs. Liquefied petroleum, also called LPG, powers cars by having a propane/butane mixture. Its hydrocarbon gases are pressurized and turned into a liquid, which can reduce fuel expenses by 50% when compared to diesel or petrol. There are cars that can be operated by sunlight, as the solar power makes electricity, that can either power an electric motor, or make fuels like hydrogen. It is possible to usually obtain the solar panels, that convert the sun's energy levels into electricity, on the roof of the vehicle.

An interesting fuel is certainly ethanol, which is an alcohol that is made from plant juice, high levels of sugar, or carbohydrates like wheat. Brazil has been working with sugar cane to make ethanol for practically 40 years and has saved $1.8 billion in oil costs to date. 5.4 million cars, that are fueled by ethanol, happen to be created in Brazil and are being exported to Japan and Sweden. The industry surrounding the use of ethanol as fuel has been responsible for creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and significantly lowering toxic emissions.

Hydrogen-powered cars are incredibly clean going since they only discharge the environmentally friendly emissions of heat and water vapor. Hybrid vehicles take advantage of not one but two energy sources by combining an electric powered motor with a small gas engine. Exploring sustainable energy sources is important if we hope to decrease rising fuel costs and save our environment.




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