| With ever-increasing fuel costs and worries over | | | | idea. |
| climate change, the humankind is facing a difficult | | | | Are there any Zero Emission Vehicle Available? |
| question: how are we going to move from place | | | | Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to create a |
| to place? Sooner or later the oil will be gone, and | | | | perfect zero emission vehicle. Let's see what |
| then what? Electric car is touted as the future of | | | | other means of alternative propulsion are there. |
| motoring by many scientists and marketing | | | | Compressed air - we need energy to compress |
| experts. The latter want us to believe that | | | | the air. Hydrogen. Again, energy is consumed to |
| electric car is a zero emission vehicle. At least | | | | generate free hydrogen and more energy to |
| that's what all the advertising messages say. | | | | compress and store it. To do that, we either use |
| It is, in fact, very far from truth. Although no | | | | fossil fuel or electricity that also comes from fossil |
| CO2 comes out of an electric car, you cannot call | | | | fuels. |
| it 0-emission. Your electric car is as green as the | | | | The only truly autonomous vehicle that doesn't |
| electricity that powers it. Unfortunately, production | | | | even come close to consuming fossil fuels (and |
| of electricity pollutes the environment in a pretty | | | | only if we disregard the expensive and |
| similar way to a petrol car. | | | | carbon-intensive production process) is a solar car. |
| In USA 51% of electricity consumed comes from | | | | Indeed by using a solar battery, we draw energy |
| coal plants (36% in the UK). The remainder is | | | | from the sun. Even considering the current political |
| somewhat split between natural gas, oil, | | | | and social situation, the sun is free to everyone. |
| hydro-plants and nuclear stations. Only 2 to 3% of | | | | However, a solar vehicle can only accommodate |
| all world's electricity is generated from green | | | | one person and it is neither safe nor fast. The |
| sources such as wind or sun. Well, nuclear stations | | | | weight should be kept to minimum because |
| are close to being green but many people don't | | | | modern solar batteries cannot produce enough |
| want to live near one and, really, you cannot | | | | energy to power a full-size car. |
| blame them. | | | | Before that next big scientific breakthrough that |
| So on average, considering CO2 contribution of | | | | will give us the perfect free energy, the future of |
| the electricity plants, your so called 0-emission | | | | green motoring is likely to be dominated by hybrid |
| vehicle will account for around 130g CO2 per mile. | | | | cars. Imagine: both gasoline and electric engines on |
| That is almost as much as a small petrol car. | | | | board plus a solar battery on the roof - the ideal |
| There we are - we need to generate more green | | | | package to meet the CO2 emission guidelines. |
| electricity in order to make an electric car a good | | | | |