Unusual Alternative Fuels for Cars: Green Vehicles Articles: Eco20/20

Unusual Alternative Fuels for Cars

We all know that traditional combustion-engine cars are on the way out. With oil supplies being depleted at an alarming rate, skyrocketing gas prices, and auto emissions destroying the environment, it is definitely time for a change. Electric and hybrid cars are becoming more popular. Solar, wind, and hydrogen-powered cars are being tested daily. The more adventurous in the green community are working with some…different…solutions to the problem. Experiments are in the works to fuel cars on everything from styrofoam cups to poop (yes, you read that right).

Nothing gets you going in the mornings quite like a strong cup of coffee and some chocolate. Apparently, coffee and chocolate can get your car going as well. Scientists at Warwick University in Britain have built and are track testing a Formula 3 racecar that runs on 30% biodiesel made exclusively from chocolate waste. The materials they used were bad production runs from the nearby Cadbury chocolate factory. This yummy solution isn't any cleaner than other biodiesels but it solves the problem of what to do with the trash chocolate. In other areas, various experiments are being conducted to create biodiesel from used coffee grounds. This idea works because the grounds are 10-15% usable oil. Even better, the 15 billion pounds of coffee produced each year, if turned to biodiesel, could cut imported oil needs by 340 million gallons a year. That makes this a pretty delicious alternative.

Many researchers are working on a variety of biomass fuels made of everything from sawdust and switch grass to walnut shells. Walnut shells release methane on their own naturally so it logically follows that it would make a reliable fuel source. These biomass fuels do have harmful emissions nearly equal to fossil fuels, but scientists say the crops grown to produce them remove enough CO2 from the air to nearly cancel out the damage. That is something fossil fuels will never be able to compete with.

Other ideas are equally effective, albeit more unusual. AMEC in Canada has designed a system to convert the plastics, resins, fibers, and yes, poop in used baby diapers into a usable fuel. This is great because it normally takes 100 years for a diaper to decompose in a landfill. Meanwhile, Eureka! Dairy in Vermont has developed an anaerobic system for transforming cow 'patties' into a usable fuel and an effective fertilizer. In even further studies, researchers in several areas are working on sewage-powered cars.

As the search for alternative fuels continues, we are sure to see more and more bizarre fuel experiments. These may not be as far out there as Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Craig Bittner's use of fat from 7,000 liposuctions to power a Ford SUV and a Lincoln Navigator (yes, it is illegal). They may also benefit the environment more than the use of styrofoam cups as a biodiesel additive, which is quite effective at up to 5% concentration but with a horrible emissions rating. It is without a doubt that at least some of these odd ideas will be effective for both the environment and us.