Racing Toward the Future: Alternative

Fuel Vehicles in the 21st Century

by Elizabeth Knapp

One of the first electric An AFV doesn’t run on oil or

vehicles ever made, the Rauch and gasoline. Instead, AFVs use
Lang Electric Sedan was a huge hit alternative fuels, including alcohols,
when it entered the transportation compressed natural gas, electricity,
scene in 1922. Now, more than 80 hydrogen, liquefied natural gas,
years later, the electric vehicle is liquefied petroleum gas, liquids
making a comeback. Along with it, made from coal, and biodiesel.
many new types of alternative fuel Among the different types of AFVs
vehicles are appearing on America’s currently being developed, the most
roads and highways. promising and interesting are electric
Why are automobile vehicles, hybrid vehicles, fuel cell
manufacturers and engineers taking vehicles, and hydrogen vehicles.
another look at alternative fuel
vehicles, or AFVs? One of the main Electric Vehicles
reasons is air pollution. In many Electric vehicles, or EVs, run
cities around the world, air pollution on electricity stored in batteries
has reached extremely unhealthy instead of gasoline burned in an
levels and continues to climb. Fossil engine. Because they do not produce
fuels burned in vehicles and power waste products such as carbon
plants are by far the biggest source of dioxide, EVs are considered zero-
air pollution. In addition, many emission vehicles. An electric motor
countries, including the United turns the wheels. Batteries,
States, do not have enough of the oil sometimes as many as 12 to 24, run
from which gasoline is made to meet the motor. For the batteries to be
their needs. As a result, they must charged, the car must be plugged into
depend on foreign oil supplies. a special charging unit, although
some EVs can be plugged into a
standard electrical wall outlet.

1
 One of the biggest advantages In many ways, hybrid vehicles
of the EV is that it runs clean, combine the best of both worlds—
without harmful emissions. Also, lower emissions with great gas
because the engine has fewer mileage.
movable parts, it requires less service While its primary power comes
than gasoline engines and is far from the gasoline engine, a hybrid
quieter. The biggest disadvantage of vehicle uses an electric motor to
the EV is its limited driving range. accelerate or climb hills. Unlike the
An EV can only go about 100 miles batteries in an EV, the batteries in a
before it must be recharged, which hybrid do not need to be recharged.
makes it inconvenient for long trips. Recharging occurs automatically
There are, however, some EVs with through regenerative braking. This
special batteries that can go longer means that the energy used during
distances. For example, a company braking is captured and stored to
in Massachusetts designed an EV recharge the batteries. At slower
that set a world record for going 238 speeds, the hybrid runs on the
miles on one charge. electric motor. At higher speeds, it
Right now, EVs are most uses both the electric and gasoline
practical for people who drive only a motors, while recharging the battery.
short distance to and from work or
school or who simply need to get Although the hybrid vehicle is
around the neighborhood. Cities are becoming increasingly popular with
rediscovering the practical and today’s drivers, many people feel
environmental benefits of EVs for that it is just a first step on the way to
mass transit. Electric-powered buses, more advanced technologies.
trolleys, subways, and trains are Because it is not a zero-emission
common methods of transportation vehicle like others that are being
around the world. developed, some researchers believe
that the hybrid will not have a lasting
Hybrid Vehicles impact on the future of
Another major innovation in transportation.
AFVs is the hybrid. Just as a hybrid
is a mixture of two different things, a
hybrid vehicle uses both gasoline and
electricity for power, alternating
between them.

2
Fuel Cell Vehicles While the fuel cell vehicle has
Like the EV, the fuel cell made great progress in recent years,
vehicle is a zero-emission vehicle. at present, it remains a technology of
Fuel cells work by converting the future. The few fuel cell vehicles
hydrogen and oxygen into water, in existence are used only for testing.
producing electricity that powers an Nevertheless, fuel cell vehicles are
electric motor. For many years, fuel considered by many to be the most
cells have been used to provide promising and realistic of AFVs.
power on spacecraft, such as the
space shuttle. Hydrogen Vehicles
Fuel cells have two Perhaps the most interesting
disadvantages. One is the lack of a and innovative of alternative vehicle
system for distributing hydrogen and fuels is hydrogen. Experts agree that
making it available at service hydrogen is the fuel of the future.
stations. A second and greater It is easily obtained by splitting
challenge is the problem of how to water into oxygen and hydrogen
store it. Hydrogen is a bulky gas. On using electricity, and it emits almost
the space shuttle, it is compressed no polluting gases when burned. The
and stored in huge fuel tanks. Such a emissions that hydrogen does
storage method is not practical in produce are free of carbon dioxide,
cars, however. since hydrogen is a non-carbon fuel.
Scientists are developing Fuel cells are one method of
alternative methods to store using hydrogen to power a vehicle.
hydrogen. One way is to compress Another is to burn the hydrogen
the hydrogen in special high-pressure directly in the engine, like gasoline.
containers. Another is to separate it The same challenges are posed for
from hydrocarbon fuels such as these vehicles as for fuel cell
methanol and gasoline through a vehicles: storage problems and the
device known as a reformer. A need for a distribution network.
direct-methanol fuel cell also uses Hydrogen filling stations have begun
methanol, but it does not need a appearing in several countries
reformer to separate the hydrogen including the United States, and
from the methanol. The hydrogen is home fueling systems are being
removed from the liquid methanol developed.
inside the fuel cell itself.

3
 Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Conclusion For these reasons, a growing number

Since its appearance more than of major cities and businesses are
a century ago, the automobile has putting AFVs in their vehicle fleets.
brought comfort and convenience to Government at all levels offers tax
people’s lives. Yet it remains the incentives for purchasing them.
number-one source of air pollution in Major auto manufacturers already
the world. Alternative fuel vehicles market AFVs, and more are being
offer a means of reducing pollution developed. Alternative fuel vehicles
significantly. In addition, many are the wave of the future.
AFVs are fuel-efficient and
economical to operate.

4
 To Fuel or Not to Fuel
by Elizabeth Knapp

In January 2003, the U.S. Furthermore, America’s

government introduced a plan that reliance on foreign oil imports, like
proposed spending $1.7 billion on those from the Middle East, weakens
the development of hydrogen- our country’s energy security.
powered fuel cells, a distribution According to the U.S. Department of
network that would make hydrogen Energy (DOE), the United States
as widely available as gasoline, and depends on foreign oil for more than
technologies for mass-producing half its current energy needs. In
fuel cell vehicles. In many ways, addition, the United States accounts
this plan is the most ambitious and for 25 percent of oil use in the world,
aggressive new clean-energy yet it has just 2.2 percent of the
program to date. However, the world’s oil reserves. These facts
circumstances surrounding the need point to the need for immediate
for such a program are not new. solutions to growing energy
Cars and trucks emit many problems.
harmful pollutants that can cause Several countries, including the
serious health problems. These United States, Germany, and Iceland,
pollutants deplete the earth’s are turning to hydrogen-powered
protective ozone layer. They also fuel cell vehicles as the future’s
produce smog and acid rain. answer to the clean-running car. Fuel
Scientists believe that the carbon cells combine hydrogen with oxygen
dioxide emitted by gas-powered cars from the air. In the process, they
and trucks contributes to global generate electricity, which is used to
warming, an increase in the average power the vehicle. A fuel cell vehicle
temperature of the earth’s surface is the ultimate clean car because it
caused mainly by human activities. emits only water as a waste product.
Global warming is driving changes
in the earth’s climate that could
threaten people’s health. It could
also harm fish, birds, and many
kinds of ecosystems and affect water
supplies, crops, and forests.

5
 While fuel cell vehicles are a While fuel cell vehicles are
very promising technology, they certain to be an important part of the
may not be ready soon enough to solution to the world’s energy
provide an answer for current energy problems, they are only a part.
problems. Auto manufacturers Ultimately, the question is whether
predict that fuel cell vehicles will to fuel or not to fuel—how much to
not be widely available until 2010 at spend and where to spend it. The
the earliest. In the meantime, experts DOE estimates that by 2020, U.S. oil
believe there are other, more consumption will rise more than 40
immediate ways of reducing harmful percent. At the same time, the
pollutants, as well our reliance on number of cars on the road will
foreign oil supplies. increase from 600 million to 1
One very obvious way is for billion. By then, will there be enough
the government to mandate that auto oil to produce the gasoline that
manufacturers increase fuel powers our cars, and clean air for us
efficiency for their cars. With more to breathe?
miles to the gallon, cars would use
less gasoline. Another way is for the
government to tighten emissions
standards. This would require auto
manufacturers to produce cars that
emit fewer pollutants.