The future of powered transport

[Brains]

That's a bit like saying horse poo smells nicer than dog poo though, surely? It's cleaner. And isn't most of it stuff that needs to be 'fracked' out - something that is controversial to say the least?

It can be fracked out, but it's a lot easier and cheaper to get it from places with loads of the stuff just coming out of the ground like Quatar, Algeria, Russia.

However I agree it's still a fossil fuel, it is not infinite and it contributes to global warming.
However if you compare the effort to produce a battery (converting copper, lead and rare earths into a battery) and then to fill it up with electricity (possibly provided by a gas powered power station) then LPG can come out on top basis financially, ease of use, transportibility, and most importantly cleanest.

No so much as the beast option, more the least worst option

 

[KneesUp]

It can be fracked out, but it's a lot easier and cheaper to get it from places with loads of the stuff just coming out of the ground like Quatar, Algeria, Russia.

I can't see any possible issues on relying on those places for fuel.

However I agree it's still a fossil fuel, it is not infinite and it contributes to global warming.

However if you compare the effort to produce a battery (converting copper, lead and rare earths into a battery) and then to fill it up with electricity (possibly provided by a gas powered power station) then LPG can come out on top basis financially, ease of use, transportibility, and most importantly cleanest.

Which is why I think hydrogen, cracked from excess arctic melt water using electricity generated by renewable resources, is the way to go.

 

[Fnaar]

As I recall, the issue with Wankels was that if there isn't enough lubrication, the tip wears out.

Ah, but at least it is from a renewable sauce

 

[Dave Davenport]

I'm going to have a nice big Wankel, powered only by my imagination

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Ah, but at least it is from a renewable sauce

Problem is that it only has a range of less than an hour.

 

[Brains]

I can't see any possible issues on relying on those places for fuel.
.

Your fuel today comes from equally dodgy places, Saudi, Iraq, Nigeria, Venezuela, Libya and Qatar.
If any one of them stops selling their crude oil, then the prices go up and for some less resilient countries the lights will start to go out.

 

[raleighnut]

Biogas, already starting to make inroads into renewable energy.

 

[KneesUp]

Your fuel today comes from equally dodgy places, Saudi, Iraq, Nigeria, Venezuela, Libya and Qatar.
If any one of them stops selling their crude oil, then the prices go up and for some less resilient countries the lights will start to go out.

I would like to think that we'd be reluctant to rely on a few difficult-to-deal-with places for essential fuel given the chance not to though. I'm naive, I accept that, but I'd like to think our leaders are capable of learning something and directing resources to secure a more favourable outcome in the future ...

We're going to be running our cars on something toxic that comes from Russia aren't we.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Your fuel today comes from equally dodgy places, Saudi, Iraq, Nigeria, Venezuela, Libya and Qatar.
If any one of them stops selling their crude oil, then the prices go up and for some less resilient countries the lights will start to go out.

Why would they stop? Their economies rely on oil money to avoid going bankrupt.

 

[marshmella]

I'm going to have a nice big Wankel, powered only by my imagination

You would probably need an eyesight test in the near future

 

[biggs682]

I used one of the first Hybrid Honda Civic's a few years ago and thought it was quite clever , but far from ideal in a lot of ways .

I would love to do a long term trial on one of the latest electric cars to see how they get on as most of our miles are short range journey's

As for any other alternatives i can't see the petrol engine being totally phased out but then who knows

 

[colly]

(The more later thing on splitting water to get hydrogen and oxygen - I guess with all the CO2 we pump out, there is less oxygen in the air than once there was - so could we just vent off the oxygen to restore the balance? It also occurs to me that as the ice cap melts, it might be beneficial to 'store' this water as hydrogen, stored in billions of fuel tanks - and vented oxygen rather than letting it flow into the sea? Thoughts?)

Actually the amount of extra C02 in the atmosphere very, very small as a proportion of the overall balance of gases. Currently .0004% around 400 parts per million. The increase is around 7ppm since 2013
(411.75ppm this week according to the lastest study and back in 2013 it was around 405ppm.) 7ppm in 6 years, hardly runaway figures. So despite all the bruhaha I don't think it's much to worry about tbh. ) but that's another debate.

So oxygen is still more than plentiful. The problem with fuel cell technology will be people bitching about the streets and city centres being constantly misty and humid.

 

[DRM]

Battery swapping is a good idea, all cars should have standard power cells and be easily swapped, like changing a tyre. It could be done in under 5 minutes.
A bit like a gas bbq, you just swap the canister when it is empty.

I think battery changeover is the way to go, however, manufacturers will have to adopt a standard case & design their cars to have easy access through panels that open up/remove to get to the the battery, this is what a lot of fork trucks do when used on a 3 shift system, one battery in use, one charging, all the technology for electric vehicles is old & well proven now, A/C motors, chopper boxes & control modules have been fitted to fork trucks for over 20 years now, perhaps design a car with a solar panel on the roof panel, to add a little bit of extra charge, along with a small generator to get enough power in to get to a battery station if you push your luck range wise, either way we will need a lot of batteries making to do this, plus I think you would have to rent the battery, as you do a calor bottle in order to swap it.

 

[Brains]

Which is why I think hydrogen, cracked from excess arctic melt water using electricity generated by renewable resources, is the way to go.

Why would they stop? Their economies rely on oil money to avoid going bankrupt.

Both Venezuela and Libya are exporting probably 20% of what they were shipping 10 years ago.
Both are essentially bankrupt.
Look what has happened to their economies, both countries have gone from 2nd world developing nations the 2nd world unravelling nations, with massive brain drains.

The Western counties will be along soon to 'liberate' them, as we have always traditionally liberated counties with oil and instated a government more amenable to our way of thinking (with cheap oil)