Other Sources of Fuel for Motor Cars / Automobiles

5.1 Introduction

• Alternative sources of fuel have and still are being developed and evaluated by numerous car manufacturers.

• For detailed information see Green Cars, Section 3 (Alternative Fuels).

5.2 Air

• In the United States in 1903 the Liquid Air Car Company produced a car that was powered by liquefied air.

• A car powered by compressed air was developed in France during the 1990s by Moteur Development International.

5.3 Hydrogen

• Hydrogen gas can be used either for combustion, in the same way as petrol, or in a fuel cell for conversion to electricity.

• Note: Unlike a battery, a fuel cell is an energy conversion, not energy storage device.

5.4 Liquid Nitrogen

• The energy “stored” in liquid nitrogen can be converted to nitrogen gas, which can then be used used to power a piston engine.

5.5 Biofuels

• A biofuel is derived from a recently living organism or its metabolic by-product.

• Alcohol-based ethanol can be obtained from sugar/sugar cane, starch, grain, etc.

• Biodiesel is obtained from vegetable oils, such as soya beans and oilseed.

• Gasohol is the result of mixing petrol with an alcohol fuel, typically ethanol.

• An “E” number indicates the percentage of ethanol in the mix. Some cars in South American countries run on 100% ethanol (E100).

5.6 Solar Power

• The energy obtained from solar panels can be used to provide electricity for electric cars.