Future+Fuels

=Hydrogen=

Hydrogen as fuel has massive potential. The gas has three times the energy of gasoline, and the only emission generated during driving would be water. Using fuel cells, which generate electricity from hydrogen and oxygen, it can theoretically provide more than enough power for automobiles and other engines (Satyapal, Petrovic, and Thomas).

Honda has a hydrogen powered model, the Clarity, which it introduced in 2008. It is currently available for lease in Japan, U.S., and Europe. A full tank, 4.1 kg, gets 280 miles. In California, where most U.S. hydrogen filling stations are located, hydrogen as fuel costs $5-$10 per kg. Mercedez-Benz, Hyundai, Toyota, and General Motors all have fuel-cell programs as well, with the latter two announcing plans to have fuel cell cars ready for production by 2015 (Copeland).

However, no country has the infrastructure to support large scale use of hydrogen as fuel. In the U.S. there are currently 64 hydrogen filling stations, with 38 in planning stages. In 2009 the German government announced plans to build 1,000 hydrogen filling station in Germany. While nations are putting more resources into hydrogen development, it faces stiff competition from electric technology (Copeland).

Another critique is the source of hydrogen. The gas needs to be produced; the most popular method is to combine steam and natural gas, forming hydrogen and carbon monoxide. However, this process creates emissions (Satyapal, Petrovic, and Thomas).

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Fuel Cost & Availability:
Currently in the United States, Hydrogen is very expensive to produce. If hydrogen would be produced in massive amount, it would cost about $2 per gallon or less, also hydrogen is almost three times more efficient than gasoline. The problem falls on the distribution of the hydrogen that would cost billions (Newman). = = =Propane=

Propane has been used in vehicles since the 1920's, but has exploded (ok, wrong word) in popularity since the 1990's. Modern propane vehicles fall into two classes, both usually converted from gasoline vehicles; dedicated propane, which are powered solely by propane, and bi-fuel propane (shown below), which can use both propane and gasoline (US Department of Energy).

Propane functions much like gasoline; it is stored in liquid form, and delivered to a combustion engine via a fuel line. However, it is converted to a gas before combusted, which can lower fuel economy up to 25%. Modern advances have made the combustion of the liquid form viable, and are likely to be seen available to consumers soon. Propane also has a higher octane rating than gasoline (104 to 112 vs. 87 to 92), and engines using propane have been shown to last up to twice as long (US Department of Energy).

Many vehicles using propane are heavy duty models such as school buses; Dallas County, TX uses a fleet of 500. Light duty vehicles are harder to find, because they require a conversion process offered by few manufacturers, which can cost between $4,000 and $12,000 dollars. Light-duty vehicles converted are often pickup trucks (US Department of Energy). Bergen County, NJ operates a dedicated propane police cruiser, a smaller vehicle than usually converted, which has saved 20-25% on fuel costs. They are also part of a study testing the emissions in light duty vehicles (American City and Country).

Criticism
Critics of propane target the lack of infrastructure for propane fueling, and it's lower energy content than gasoline (25%). They also note that propane use creates a new dependence upon a finite resource (US Department of Energy).

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