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Hey, hope you do not mind if I do a little human market type survey here in the Motorhead section?
Figuring that somewhere down the line we will be heading towards the end of the Oil Age, I was wondering what folks would think of some the various choices ahead, or maybe add some of your own.
I know there will likely be some Oil-Forever, Drill-Baby-Drill types around and that is fine, too. I can look out the back window and see we still have horses in the backyard, too. But over time, My Little Pony has become rather expensive and not so practical, sort of like Oil and Gasoline are becoming lately.
Maybe I should do this as a poll, but was really more interested in folks' perspectives and whys or why-nots of various choices rather than scores of A v. B. As near as I can tell, it is not like there is likely One-Right-and-True-Answer [tm] and we will likely wind up with some mix. Here are some sample choices, in no particular order, or add your own:
CNG -- Compressed Natural Gas
Hydrogen -- Not just for airships, anymore
Electric -- Battery and or Grid Powered
Propane -- Hank Hill loves it
Various Biofuels -- Alcohol(s) like Methanol, Ethanol, Butanol, or Bio-diesel.
"Created/Unconventional" Oil based -- e.g. Coal, Tar Sands, built-up Carbon Chains.
Horses -- Yeah some folks really do figure the past is the future.
And of course an F-100 from the late 60s/early 70s with a carbureted 302 and a manual trans for alcohol burning, and one of those ex-military CUCV Blazers with the 6.2 liter Diesel for Bio/alt-Diesel fuel burning.
I hear the GM 6.2 blows though, but I like the frame/body/4x4 setup of the Blazer. If anything, perhaps a used, but better caliber of Diesel engine could be dropped in.
Do any of your suggested classes include the concept of using the waste products of micro-organisms as a fuel, produced by vast enclosed populations that can consume virtually any digestible material? Maybe that falls under "built-up Carbon Chains", but would be natural as opposed to synthetic.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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What else, but continue to drive my $35.00 'StealthRabbit' !!
50 mpg since 1976, no Dinosaurs, OPEC, or toxic batteriesrequired
Algae or something else will be providing my fuel (the thing burns about anything, including waste oil (cooking or engine oil)). No bio fuel required, no engine modifications required, 80% less emissions that carbon refined fuels ...
Tires... I get about 5-7 yrs on a $20 set of tires from the junk yard.
Check your neighbor's brier patch (That is where Rabbits hide out ) I've got a few for FREE that way. (Rabbit Rescue)
Gas powered cars will eventually go away. We know that, I know that. But it's not going to happen in the near future. I would say we're looking at least 30-40 yrs before we see the end of the gas engine.
The near future is going to be smaller engines with turbochargers and gas/electric hybrids. I also expect to see a huge increase in electric only cars in the next 5-10 yrs. Battery technology has increased 1000% in the last couple of years with no end in sight. I recently read an article from one of the computer mfgs that say they will have a battery that will be able to power a laptop, portable printer and other devices for a full 24 hrs without a recharge and It's no larger than a sheet of paper. We should see it in production in the next 24 months after final testing. This technology will eventually trickle down to cars allowing longer range.
I don't feel any of the alternative fuels will take off with maybe he exception of ethanol.
A Volt style electric car with the onboard generator being a small diesel that can be fed easily from multiple fuel sources. You can derive diesel fuel from just about anything, crude oil, waste oil, waste vegetable oil, biomass, coal, waste coal, plants and even algae.
You can power off the grid from any source and get enough range to handle most of your daily driving. You then also have the flexibility to drive any distance you want using existing infrastructure on diesel fuel made from multiple sources.
Everything needed to do it exists today and doesn't require any great leaps or massive changes to our infrastructure.
The only thing that would rival the above model is new capacitor technology. Supposedly they have developed capacitors that can store energy like a battery, but charge and discharger rapidly as needed. This would allow you to "fill up" an electric car in as little as 5 minutes, elminating the range issue of a pure electric.
And of course an F-100 from the late 60s/early 70s with a carbureted 302 and a manual trans for alcohol burning, and one of those ex-military CUCV Blazers with the 6.2 liter Diesel for Bio/alt-Diesel fuel burning.
I hear the GM 6.2 blows though, but I like the frame/body/4x4 setup of the Blazer. If anything, perhaps a used, but better caliber of Diesel engine could be dropped in.
Of course! How could I have forgotten to put bicycles on the this list. Thanks.
Used to drive one of those one-key-fits-all CUCV's from time-to-time back in Army Days. Were a rough piece of stuff.
Do sympathize with the olde days (pre-electronic ignition?) carbureted pick-up . . . running home-brew . . . . Am I detecting a little bit of Mad Max times thinking here?
Do any of your suggested classes include the concept of using the waste products of micro-organisms as a fuel, produced by vast enclosed populations that can consume virtually any digestible material? Maybe that falls under "built-up Carbon Chains", but would be natural as opposed to synthetic.
No, of course missed that one, too. I was thinking more along the lines of forced chemical built-up carbon chains like Sandia is doing for the US Navy -- so that Aircraft Carriers can use surplus energy / electricity from the onboard Nuke power plants to up-convert CO2 to aircraft fuel.
But yes, you are correct -- bacteria and are algae based production is its own entire genre.
You like that one? I think it holds potential, especially on the output exhaust gas stream of Coal power plants for capturing CO2 and creating fuel.
What else, but continue to drive my $35.00 'StealthRabbit' !!
50 mpg since 1976, no Dinosaurs, OPEC, or toxic batteriesrequired
Algae or something else will be providing my fuel (the thing burns about anything, including waste oil (cooking or engine oil)). No bio fuel required, no engine modifications required, 80% less emissions that carbon refined fuels ...
Tires... I get about 5-7 yrs on a $20 set of tires from the junk yard.
Check your neighbor's brier patch (That is where Rabbits hide out ) I've got a few for FREE that way. (Rabbit Rescue)
Gas powered cars will eventually go away. We know that, I know that. But it's not going to happen in the near future. I would say we're looking at least 30-40 yrs before we see the end of the gas engine.
About the time-line I am thinking too. Looking at the Horses to Autos transition 1900 to 1940 or so, 30-40 years seems reasonable. That allows a couple full turn-overs of the existing "fleet," and about a 2 to 3% swap-over per year. All very doable.
Quote:
The near future is going to be smaller engines with turbochargers and gas/electric hybrids. I also expect to see a huge increase in electric only cars in the next 5-10 yrs. Battery technology has increased 1000% in the last couple of years with no end in sight. I recently read an article from one of the computer mfgs that say they will have a battery that will be able to power a laptop, portable printer and other devices for a full 24 hrs without a recharge and It's no larger than a sheet of paper. We should see it in production in the next 24 months after final testing. This technology will eventually trickle down to cars allowing longer range.
Yeah, I am guessing some direct grid power is likely, too, but it is way to early to guess the "winners."
Quote:
I don't feel any of the alternative fuels will take off with maybe he exception of ethanol.
I can see them being around for remote/military applications, emergency vehicles, and back-up/emergency generation. But that is a Whole Lot less than now. Could include some NG/Propane, some Diesel, some Ethanol.
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, OPEC
, or toxic batteries 
required 
or something else will be providing my fuel (the thing burns about anything, including waste oil (cooking or engine oil))
. 
) I've got a few for FREE that way. (Rabbit Rescue)
