electric vehicle – Tomorrow's World

Alternative Fuels: A Closer Look Beyond Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) have undeniably taken center stage in the sustainable transportation conversation. But are they the only viable alternative to traditional petrol and diesel cars? Let’s explore some other promising alternative fuels.

1. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCEVs)

How they work: Hydrogen fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, which powers the vehicle’s motor.
Benefits: Zero tailpipe emissions, long driving range, quick refueling times.
Drawbacks: Limited hydrogen fueling infrastructure, higher upfront costs.

2. Biofuels

Types: Ethanol (made from corn, sugarcane, or other plant materials), biodiesel (derived from vegetable oils or animal fats).
Benefits: Reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, potential for carbon neutrality.
Drawbacks: Can compete with food production for land and resources, some biofuels may have higher emissions when the entire production process is considered.

3. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

Benefits: Lower emissions than gasoline or diesel, abundant supply.
Drawbacks: Limited fueling infrastructure, potential methane leaks (a potent greenhouse gas).

4. Synthetic Fuels

How they’re made: Created from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, often using renewable energy sources.
Benefits: Can be used in existing gasoline and diesel engines without modifications, potentially carbon-neutral.
Drawbacks: Production process is energy-intensive and expensive.

So, which is better?

The “best” alternative fuel depends on various factors, including:

Infrastructure: The availability of fueling stations.
Cost: The upfront cost of the vehicle and fuel.
Environmental impact: The overall greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental effects.
Driving needs: Range, refueling time, and suitability for different types of driving.

While electric vehicles have made significant strides, these alternative fuels offer unique advantages and could play a crucial role in a sustainable transportation future. As technology advances and infrastructure improves, we may see a diverse mix of alternative fuels powering our vehicles.

What do you think? Which alternative fuel is most promising in your opinion?

Ok, you may have missed this but new laws are coming in soon (2030) which will ban the sales of petrol and diesel vehicles only. Hybrid vehicles will be available to purchase till 2035.

It’s already started – many people are buying electric cars – but most are opting for an hybrid option first. And I agree.

Now you can get self-charging hybrid or a plug-in hybrid.

Either way – I think hybrid is a natural way forward from a petrol or diesel only car. It’ll help you a) understand more about the electric motor, b) how, where and when to use your battery power and finally c) will help bridge that gap from petrol to electric.

I used to have a hybrid car. It did about 30miles on electric. Which was ok for town driving. And then on the motorway – the petrol engine would kick in. This was good for me – regular trips of 140miles + single way, were not a problem. Petrol Stations readily available, easy and all I had to do was pop in, fill up – 5 to 10minutes later – I was back on my way.

I’ve moved from Hybrid to fully Electric.

Now whilst there are more and more fully electric car options – I personally opted for a Tesla.

And if you’re thinking of ordering a Tesla, before you do – use my referral code/link – and you’ll get 1,000 free supercharger miles! – it’s bal71307 (and the link – http://ts.la/bal71307

Whilst the choice is getting bigger and bigger by the day – there’s some great small electric cars that are now available… such as the VW ID range…

BMW are releasing a number of fully electric cars – and you may have noticed, a number of Nissan (the original Leaf has been upgraded many times – and is a very good car), Toyota, Mini and many others – have great electric cars on offer.

But before you buy an electric car, you may be concerned and questions I got whilst I was talking on BBC Radio on Sunday night was… what happens if my battery runs out?

Well, ‘range anxiety’ was one of my fears also.

Honestly. It all comes down to one thing. You just have to plan your journey a little better. Because – there are not as many electric car chargers currently as you’d like compared to petrol stations.

Saying this, I’ve done a few long trips. and was concerned about not having enough battery. However – the sat nav in the car helps. I put in my destination and the car asked if it was a round trip or anywhere I was going – and then magically (well, it seemed to be magical) worked out, how much battery would be used, and that I would not have enough for a return journey! – now, the reason I got a Tesla was because of their Supercharger network…. and what happened was, the Sat Nav told me – where and when and for how long I’d need to charge in order to complete my trip!

Again – a number of factors were taking into account, like how fast I’d be driving, conditions, etc…

Over the past year – there’s more and more chargers being installed in a variety of locations. There’s various apps you can download and see where your nearest charging station is, the cost to charge (you’re paying per kwh) and on some apps, even tells you if the charging point is busy or available!

Back to why I went for a Tesla – 1) their supercharger network is fantastic. I’ve used it a few times, just pull up – plug in and wait a short while. No need to tap anything, anywhere – the charger recognizes the car, payment details are already registered – the process is so easy and simple. Love it.

2) Tesla seem to be more advanced than some of the other manufacturers – they’ve been doing it for a while and are learning and pushing out updates regularly. And finally, 3) they can’t be doing that bad of a job- they had record sales in the last quarter and in the UK – was one of the best sold Electric Vehicles! I’ve driven others – and yes, others may have a better ride quality, or something else that is better – but overall, the Tesla experience has been great.

So there you go- start thinking about your next car being a fully electric – and start to think about home charging units (the grant for these will expire soon – so suggest you look at getting one installed sooner rather than later) and don’t worry about running out of battery – your car will warn you well in advance and there’s more and more charging stations popping up. Everywhere. Even Tesco. Because every little helps.