So I will start with what everyone is aware of right now: hybrid cars. I will touch more on them later, but I will focus here on the current technology. Nearly all of the current production hybrids are called parallel systems, meaning the electric motors sometimes drive the wheels at low speeds, and the engine usually drives the wheels at higher speeds and when the battery is depleted. Some versions, like Ford's, some of Honda's and different European brands', don't ever actually drive the wheels with electricity, they just use it to power the auxiliaries like air conditioning. The problem with these are the continued reliance on an internal combustion engine for propulsion, and the need for it to run continuously even at moderate speeds. These have long been called a stopgap, but they have stood in the way of too much development of alternate means. For many they have become not a stop gap, but the endpoint of development.
There are notable exceptions, namely Honda, Mazda, and Mercedes. They have been proponents of the hydrogen. As far as I know Mazda is the only company that has used hydrogen as a fuel for an internal combustion engine, in the form of a Wankel rotary engine. They have made several concepts, including at least one with twin tanks, one for hydrogen for commuting, and the other for gasoline for sporty driving. I like this idea as an enthusiast, but again it isn't really progress. The others use a fuel cell, which converts hydrogen to electricity, this then goes to electric motors to drive the cars. I also like this idea. But the biggest problem for hydrogen is the hydrogen. It takes a lot of energy to get the hydrogen, it requires a lot of infrastructure to move and store it, and it has a relatively low specific energy. Whether it is burned or converted it takes a lot of volume to equal the output of petroleum.
(Photos Courtesy of Ford and Honda respectively)
No comments:
Post a Comment