Are people missing the point about alternative fuel vehicles?
I truly don’t understand why so many people talk about the benefits of this or that alternative fuel because petrol / gasoline / oil is becoming depleted and expensive. Isn’t it about steel and copper and plastic, too? The vehicles will still have to built in car plants which will use just as much (if not more) energy and natural resources in their building (even electric cars will require the building of large electric motors and batteries instead of petrol engines, for example ). Or will millions of cars be made of bioplastic materials and the world’s car plants and power stations be run on renewable energy or biofuel, too? Don’t we need a major rethink here? Shouldn’t we be talking about how we’re going to live in local communities, work locally, grow food locally and generally reduce our reliance on the car? This is a serious question – I hope someone can explain how we’re going to actually build these millions of alternative fuel vehicles.
Thanks for all the interesting answers so far. A couple of my thoughts:
1: I live in rural England so perhaps I underestimated the average American city-dweller’s need for long-distance transport. However, I saw a prog on TV which said the American city would not survive in a world without abundant cheap energy.
2: It’s my personal opinion that hydrogen cars, compressed air cars, etc., are a long, long way off because a whole new fuel delivery system would have to built across the world. Hydrogen is a non-starter at the moment (high pressures involved in production and distribution, it’s made from natural gas, etc.) and compressed air – well, even air compressors require energy to drive them, and the energy output will in someways have to be fuelled by the energy input + losses in the compressors, pipelines, etc. Basically, we’re back to the energy-of-production-and-distribution problem with new hydrogen and compressed air infrastructures around the world.
How will "alternative fuel vehicles" affect the American economy?
The American economy is very dependent on the automobile indutry. We usie vehicles for transportaion of both people and cargo, for recreation (racing, "road trips", country drives, etc.), as well as for many specialized applications, like ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
With glass, rubber, metal, paint, textiles, fuels, and many other materials needed to make a modern car, I have heard some eatimate that as many as 27,000 people are needed to make one car (with jobs ranging from tapping rubber trees and mining ore to final assembly of the vehicle).
Partially due to enironmental concern and partially due to governemnt mandates, the auto industry is slowly moving toward "alternative fuel vehicles". These include gas/electric hybrids, "flex fuel" vehciles that can run on ethanol, electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and one company will soon sell (in France) a small vehicle that is powered by compressed air.
What do you think will be the effects of this move
toward "alternative fuel vehicles"? Will this affect our economy in a positive manner (or negative or neutral)? Will the effects be long-term or only shoirt-term?
As a car salesman, I am curios as to where you stand.
How will these vehicles affect our economy?
As most answers will be largely based on opinion and/or news articles (since most of us, myself included, don’t have advanced degrees in economics), Best Answer will be awarded to the answer I find most convincing and most believable.
Also, please excuse any typos.
GABY, you are correct that some poeple don’t care about fuel economy. I sellfor a Ford Lincoln-Mercury dealership. We are in a rural area with a lot of farm land (peanuts, cotton, pecans, corn, are some of the bigger crops), so we sell a lot of big vehicles that are actually used for work. We do sell a lot of big vehicles for persoanl use, too, though. Some people are downgrading to get better fuel economy, but just as many want to either keep the same fuel economy or do not care about fuel economy.
I eventually want a larger vehicle (2nd child is on the way), but for the time being,. my 4 cylinder regular cab Ranger and my wife’s Ford Focus work just fine. I am 6’3" and I can drive either one of our vehicles, so I don’t buy the excuse of "I’m big, so I need a big vehicle" that I hear on a regular basis.
I am personally in favor of vehicles with more fuel economy, or an alternative source (like compressed air). I would persoanlly like to see this is a car at least midesize
(such as Ford Fusion), as well as in a truck large enough to fit myself, my wife, and both kids. (Ranger doesn’t do this)
anything about alternative fuel sources…?
i need some reliable websites about hydrogen fuel cells, solar powered cars, electric cars, ethanol, or any other crazy alternative fuel vehicles, etc. and how the stuff works. its for a stupid annotated bibliography that needs FIFTEEN friggin sources.
especially electric and solar
anyhelp?? or even just some general info off the topof your head would work too.. =]
i need information about cars. i am not so interested in a how-to book about houses.. i need info strictly about vehicles
Does the USA need a “Manahattan project” for an alternative fuel vehicle?
The Cheverolt Volt and Honda’s FCX Clarity looks promising. By the time these alternative fuel vehicles become common, americans might be riding bicycles. The president of OPEC said the USA must conserve and .00 per gallon is too cheap for conservation. The USA put a man on the moon and developed the first atomic bomb. Why not develope the first readily available alternative fuel vehicle within the next 5years?
Read MoreWhich College Major should I take if I want to specialize in alternative fuel vehicles?
I am wondering what specific major I should pursue if I want to get involved in developing alternative fuel vehicles? I know it should be some kind of engineering, most likely biological, biochemical, or chemical. I am not totally sure and would really appreciate an answer so I can go ahead and start getting exactly what classes I will need.
Thanks
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