Hybrid and Alternative Energy Cars

www.cnn.com - var CNN_ArticleChanger = new CNN_imageChanger('cnnImgChngr','/2008/TECH/science/12/03/future.car.2/imgChng/p1-0.init.exclude.html',1,1);//CNN.imageChanger.load('cnnImgChngr','imgChng/p1-0.exclude.html');

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

It might seem ridiculous, but air, yes air, can power a car.

Compressed air stored in a carbon-fiber tank and then released expandsto drive the engine's pistons in the same way that petrol gases do. ALuxembourg-based company, Motor Development International (MDI) is at the forefront of the air car's push to market.

Former Formula 1 engineer and MDI founder, Guy Negre has been workingon the technology for almost two decades and is producing a fleet ofdifferent models including the OneCAT, the CityCAT and the AirPod.

India's biggest car maker, Tata Motors and U.S. startup, Zero Pollution Motors,have both signed deals with MDI and hope to have air cars on the roadby 2010. In the U.S. the starting price will be nearly $18,000.

In October 2008, Air France and the Dutch airline KLM announced thatthey will be trialing MDI's "AirPods" for six months starting in spring2009. The four seaters will ferry passengers around Charles De GaulleAirport in Paris and Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

MDI says onetank of compressed air will take you about 60 miles in the OneCAT,which has a top speed of 35 miles per hour. As you'd expect from a carthat runs on air, there is zero pollution.

VERDICT

Compressed air engines are not new technology -- the French were usingtrams powered by compressed air way back in the 19th century -- but theair car is highly unlikely to take over from petrol and doesn't haveenough oomph to seriously challenge new electric and fuel cell vehicles.

Dr Malcolm McCulloch, an electrical engineer from the UK's OxfordUniversity says: "They are interesting, but the problem is that thespecific energy -- energy per unit mass -- is very high in air cars."

Professor Paul Shayler from the School of Mechanical, Materials andManufacturing Engineering at the UK's University of Nottingham says:"It's an idea that's worth pursuing but compressing air is both astrength and a weakness. The big advantage of conventional engines isthat you can put fuel with a high energy content in a tank and get goodrange. With a compressed air engine the range is not spectacular."

SOLAR SYSTEMS

Solar cars harvest sunlight to drive an on board electric motor. You'reprobably familiar with the solar cars that look a bit like a stingrayon wheels, but these aren't commercially viable and are mostly enteredinto endurance races like the annual World Solar Challenge, which takesplace in Australia.

A French motor company, Venturi,has produced an electro-solar hybrid. The Eclectic Concept -- a carwith roof mounted solar panels which power an electric motor -- was sopopular, say Venturi, that they have adapted it into a commercial model.

The Eclectic is yours to own for $30,000 and uses solar panels tocollect energy to power an electric engine. It has a range of about 30miles and has a top speed of 30 mph. The car featured in the 2008 movie"Babylon A.D." starring Vin Diesel.

It is rumored that the newmodel of Toyota Prius -- which passed the one million worldwide salesmark in 2008 -- due out next year will be fitted with solar panels onits roof to power the car's air conditioning.

VERDICT

Venturi has demonstrated that it is perfectly possible to produce solarpowered vehicles but they are expensive when you consider the level ofperformance they can deliver.

Professor Shayler says: "Solarpower has a long way to go. At the moment you simply don't have theenergy density to do anything special."

But Dr McCulloch thinksthat solar could assist the growth of electric cars. "Your garage couldhave solar panels on its roof, store up energy during the day andcharge your vehicle at night," he said.

"And parking lots and the like could be fitted with solar panels. So there are ways that those two can play together."

THE FUTURE

Dr John Turner, Research Fellow at the National Renewable EnergyLaboratory says: "We are talking about a new paradigm here because weknow the old paradigm is going to go away.

"For hydrogen, or any new fuel for that matter, to succ...
(read entire article from source)