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ENERGY PROBLEM

The faster you run your car, the more fuel it consumes for each kilometer traveled. Electric cars may be the best choice for the next few years because as they cannot run as fast as gasoline-powered cars, they actually save on energy. For every pound of gasoline burned, three pounds of carbon dioxide is produced. Isn’t this very unhealthy for the whole planet? How many more years can our planet last assuming that this trend goes on?


Electric vehicles emit no deadly pollutants. They will be the best choice, in term of production cost, if we can improve our present solar energy technology. At the moment, we depend mainly on generators which need fossil fuels to generate the electricity. This is one disadvantage. The other disadvantages are the capacity and the speed.
Electric vehicles will be appreciated only if the batteries are charged by hydroelectric sources, wind power or solar energy.
One example of electric car is ZAP 2006 World Car.


Natural gas is used as a “green” fuel for internal combustions engine. The exhaust emissions contain no known pollutants. The scarcity of refueling stations is a major hurdle why natural gas vehicles are not yet popular. These gas- powered vehicles emission values surpass the Emission Standard of all Countries. Natural gas is therefore classified as environmentally friendly.

One very important advantage is that there are no evaporative emissions during refueling. Fuel tanks of natural gas cars are also safer and stronger. The higher cost of these cars is the disadvantage.
One example of these cars is Honda’s 2004 Civic GX


In Hydrogen cars, the advantage is the only emission from the exhaust is water. However, at the moment it is too expansive to produce and store. But radios and televisions were also very expansive to produce 50 years ago. Some talented scientists will come along to solve the problem. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, fossil fuel engines produce 1.5 billion tons of greenhouse gases ( consisting of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrous oxide and microscopic particulate matters) each year. Can we leave the problem unsolved?

Combustion engines can be converted to hydrogen burning engines. If there are enough hydrogen fueling stations in a location, motorists will be willing to convert their cars to the hydrogen-powered ones. Because of the high cost of gasoline, hydrogen vehicles are coming of age faster than ever. The transition should be a smooth one. The never-ending rising price of gasoline will be a thing of the past.
Two examples of these cars are BMW H2R and the 2006 Ford Mustang


Fuel cells use electrodes in an electrolyte. The electricity generated from the cells will run the electric motor. This motor will turn the wheels of the vehicles. The electrochemical device is made up of two electrodes, electrolyte, hydrogen and oxygen. Electricity is produced when the hydrogen is separated by a catalyst. Fuel cells vehicles will be the best choice in the near future.

The only by-products from fuel cells are heat and water. Therefore they are cleaner, more efficient, safe, quiet, and reliable. Fuel cells installation on vehicles is becoming more and more popular every day.
One example of these cars is Mercedes-Benz F-Cell A-Class

The escalating oil prices may be a blessing in disguise. If the petroleum producing countries are too greedy to jack up the price, a day will come when it is cheaper to run an electric car, hydrogen car, natural gas car or fuel cell car. What are the petroleum exporting countries going to do with their crude oil? Are they going to drink it?

Copyright (c) 2006 Poh Tiong Ho