The high rates in fuels often raise the discussion of alternative fuels to gasoline for use in cars. Finding a way to replace gasoline and diesel would come to break a nearly 100-year automotive monopoly. It would not be beneficial only from an economic point of view, but also from an environmental point of view.

The current model we use, in addition to being non-renewable, is still largely polluting. For this reason, all plans under research take into account clean and renewable energies as an alternative to the current model. We present 7 alternative fuels to gasoline that, among other things, could relieve our pocket.

1. Biofuel

Biofuel is all fuel that is produced from renewable sources of biomass, such as wood waste and alcohol. Among its main characteristics, it is an energy source with low pollutant emission rates.

Biodiesel, natural gas and LPG are examples of biofuels. The biggest obstacles to the use of these fuels are economical and technological. In the Brazilian case, for example, the challenges involve the consolidation of techniques, market organization and their distribution.

2. Steam

Expensive steam ers have been developed for over 100 years, but were considered obsolete in the early 1920s. There is much current research that tries to develop a mechanism that enables the use of water in its liquid state as a substitute fuel, with the model of steam locomotives as a starting point.

The problem not yet solved by researchers is the complexity of the process, as it is necessary to separate hydrogen from oxygen, which would greatly increase the cost of steam. On top of that, raw H2 is flammable, which would make the method more dangerous than gasoline.

3. Kinetic Energy

Imagine a car that every time you brake turned wasted energy into electricity. Imagined? Well, they do exist. Regenerative braking happens whenever the accelerator is relieved, something that occurs in all vehicles. The problem is that the amount of power generated depends on the power of the engine, the capacity of the inverter and the cooling of the battery.

However, the biggest obstacle is the capacity of the accumulator, since when having the entire battery charged it is not possible to use the regenerative brake. That's one of the reasons that most vehicles with this system are hybrid. The market for these cars may increase with the discovery of a solution for energy storage.

4. Hydrogen

With the constant search for sustainability (and cost reduction, of course), hydrogen-powered cars have gained research for development and hit the streets. Although sustainable, easy to be replenished and the optimal autonomy, there are limitations in the supply network, high cost of technology and, perhaps the largest from the point of view of consuming, the shorter life span of the car, since storage tanks, by law, can not be more than 15 years old.

5. Nitrogen

At the beginning of the 20th century, nitrogen-powered vehicles were created, even though they were not commercialized. In London, since 2016, a fleet of delivery vehicles tests nitrogen engines, but in hybrid system.

The biggest difficulty at the moment is precisely that liquid nitrogen is less efficient than fossil fuels and, on top of that, it needs electricity to be produced.

6. Solar Energy

In Germany, a solar-powered car is being tested. With solar panels covering the ceiling, hood and sides, it would give an autonomy of 250 kilometers. It is estimated that they will reach the market only in 2040. But others are already being manufactured in other European countries, such as France.

There are some obstacles that still need to be circumvented, among them the requirement of minimum average speed maintenance for the battery to be recharged and the high cost.The first units being developed estimate an average value of US$ 370,000 per unit.

7. Electric Power

It is not today that we try to develop electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells that are accessible, so much so that tesla already exists. Cars of this type have already proved very efficient, and are not polluting.

Electric cars like Tesla have against them the high cost, the low distribution of energy supply sites and, unlike the sun, it is necessary to remember that most of the electricity generated in the world comes from coal and natural gas -which does not diminish the ecological value of an electric car, but puts an asterisk.

Source: Mega Curioso