Comments on: Never mind the banks – here’s the future http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/ The greatest writers on the world of cars from the BBC's Top Gear Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:04:27 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: TheElderStatesman http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-1429 TheElderStatesman Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:00:39 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-1429 Why has nothing been said about combination alternative fuels? Sure plugin electrics work for some people, hybrid electrics work for others doing more distance, hydrogen will be another choice, and standard diesel/petrol will still be arround for those who can't afford the latest whizzy motor. But there is nothing at all to stop even petrol/diesel users from doing their bit too. We know older diesels can quite often run a mix of filtered waste veg oil without issue. We know that newer diesel can run blends of biodiesel. And many petrol cars would be converted to easily run ethanol/petrol blends (E85 at the extreme end). There is also the option to run butonal/petrol mix upto 85% butanol too, with less conversion, or LPG for very clean burning of a waste product and actual better performance than the petrol equivalent if the engine is actually optimised for LPG instead of petrol in a dual fuel vehicle. An one thing I have heard nothing about. Algal or green crude. Special strains of Algae with high oil content. That can live on foul water, cleaning it as they grow. That breathe in CO2 from industrial plants, and produce oxygen. That don't need farm land to grow, and produce 20-30 times the oil yield of a cereal oil crop. A fuel source that can grow on waste ground, living in tanks cleaning waste water and filtering polluted air, but can be converted into a suitable substitute to both diesel and petrol. But it seems to be the realms of quacks and crackpots at the moment. The only place taking it seriously it appears is the Czech replublic, which has an experimental incinerator plant project going. The CO2 from the incerator feeds an algae farm, which is processed into diesel, which feeds the refuse trucks, which pick up the crap, which feeds the incinerator and makes a full lifecycle. The left over dried remains of each crop of algae also go into the incinerator as fuel to reduce the waste, and reduce landfill without serious financial punitive measures to the home owner. They hope eventually to produce enough algal fuel that as well as running the refuse trucks they can power the local taxis and other public vehicles on peoples garbage too. Why has nothing been said about combination alternative fuels?
Sure plugin electrics work for some people, hybrid electrics work for others doing more distance, hydrogen will be another choice, and standard diesel/petrol will still be arround for those who can’t afford the latest whizzy motor.

But there is nothing at all to stop even petrol/diesel users from doing their bit too.
We know older diesels can quite often run a mix of filtered waste veg oil without issue.
We know that newer diesel can run blends of biodiesel.
And many petrol cars would be converted to easily run ethanol/petrol blends (E85 at the extreme end).
There is also the option to run butonal/petrol mix upto 85% butanol too, with less conversion, or LPG for very clean burning of a waste product and actual better performance than the petrol equivalent if the engine is actually optimised for LPG instead of petrol in a dual fuel vehicle.

An one thing I have heard nothing about. Algal or green crude.
Special strains of Algae with high oil content. That can live on foul water, cleaning it as they grow.
That breathe in CO2 from industrial plants, and produce oxygen.
That don’t need farm land to grow, and produce 20-30 times the oil yield of a cereal oil crop.
A fuel source that can grow on waste ground, living in tanks cleaning waste water and filtering polluted air, but can be converted into a suitable substitute to both diesel and petrol.

But it seems to be the realms of quacks and crackpots at the moment.
The only place taking it seriously it appears is the Czech replublic, which has an experimental incinerator plant project going. The CO2 from the incerator feeds an algae farm, which is processed into diesel, which feeds the refuse trucks, which pick up the crap, which feeds the incinerator and makes a full lifecycle. The left over dried remains of each crop of algae also go into the incinerator as fuel to reduce the waste, and reduce landfill without serious financial punitive measures to the home owner. They hope eventually to produce enough algal fuel that as well as running the refuse trucks they can power the local taxis and other public vehicles on peoples garbage too.

]]> By: farsh-nuke http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-1002 farsh-nuke Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:27:32 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-1002 I just found out that a company called smartveg can make almost any diesel car run on veg oil. I just found out that a company called smartveg can make almost any diesel car run on veg oil.

]]> By: Heinz http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-954 Heinz Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:05:11 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-954 Dunno about hydrogen cars. If it's gas it takes a huge volume in the boot and the whole thing will blow up like hell should it get in touch with air. And it's still rather expensive to build a H2-powered car. However it looked quite convincing when tested even a few years ago. I remember the hydrogen 7-series which ran, as they told, quite well. Dunno about hydrogen cars. If it’s gas it takes a huge volume in the boot and the whole thing will blow up like hell should it get in touch with air. And it’s still rather expensive to build a H2-powered car.
However it looked quite convincing when tested even a few years ago. I remember the hydrogen 7-series which ran, as they told, quite well.

]]> By: Mikeado http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-941 Mikeado Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:38:55 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-941 OMG! H2Go, that's that Scorpion that TG deemed impossible and never-happening a few months ago! OMG! H2Go, that’s that Scorpion that TG deemed impossible and never-happening a few months ago!

]]> By: SnowriderAU http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-889 SnowriderAU Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:20:42 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-889 I with H2, Grab yourself a canister with water, add some 316l steel and some baking soda and your away. HHO hydrogen on demand pumping into your air intake, improving your emmissions, fuel econmomy and torque. Now a few more major tweaks and you can do what Stanley Meyers did in teh ninetiew run your car on just plain old water. Hydrogen as you see it here is a big ploy to keep shell and bp sucking up the dollars and the tech way off into teh future. Hydrogen Burns, it powers the sun and we;ve got boffins here trying to use it to capture 15% efficiency generating electricity from it!!.. Ha this stuff is more powerful than Nitros Oxide in your car, long live the hydrogen combustion engine... I with H2,

Grab yourself a canister with water, add some 316l steel and some baking soda and your away.

HHO hydrogen on demand pumping into your air intake, improving your emmissions, fuel econmomy and torque.

Now a few more major tweaks and you can do what Stanley Meyers did in teh ninetiew run your car on just plain old water.

Hydrogen as you see it here is a big ploy to keep shell and bp sucking up the dollars and the tech way off into teh future.

Hydrogen Burns, it powers the sun and we;ve got boffins here trying to use it to capture 15% efficiency generating electricity from it!!.. Ha this stuff is more powerful than Nitros Oxide in your car, long live the hydrogen combustion engine…

]]> By: H2GO http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-888 H2GO Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:15:22 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-888 YOu don;t need Hydrogen fuel cells.. You just need water Hydrogen On Demand technology is here and in my car... See this for example a 40Mpg 450 Bhp sports car!! http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/11/the-40-mpg-450.html YOu don;t need Hydrogen fuel cells.. You just need water Hydrogen On Demand technology is here and in my car…

See this for example a 40Mpg 450 Bhp sports car!!
http://blog.wired.com/car s/2008/11/the-40-mpg-450. html

]]> By: farsh-nuke http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-885 farsh-nuke Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:32:27 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-885 I agree the volt is the key link in development, A electric car that seems like any other car seeing as you fill it with petrol like normal plus you can get really cheap local milage, plus the volt type setup could be adapted to use a hydrogen fuel cell instead of a petrol engine, theoretically, once we set up hydrogen fill up points I agree the volt is the key link in development, A electric car that seems like any other car seeing as you fill it with petrol like normal plus you can get really cheap local milage, plus the volt type setup could be adapted to use a hydrogen fuel cell instead of a petrol engine, theoretically, once we set up hydrogen fill up points

]]> By: Dean Coventry http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-819 Dean Coventry Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:50:51 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-819 I have been reading in the new edition of TG mag about the forthcoming chevvy volt. Sure im a petrolhead, but this car makes sence. It,s green,has a electric only range that suits my daily commute of 25 miles and looks good to. If i could cut my motoring costs down, be green and have a good looking 150 bhp car the play in then that sounds good to me. Cant wait till the roadtests hit the mag. Dean I have been reading in the new edition of TG mag
about the forthcoming chevvy volt.
Sure im a petrolhead, but this car makes sence.
It,s green,has a electric only range that suits my daily commute of 25 miles and looks good to.
If i could cut my motoring costs down, be green and have a good looking 150 bhp car the play in then that sounds good to me.
Cant wait till the roadtests hit the mag.

Dean

]]> By: farsh-nuke http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-812 farsh-nuke Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:46:24 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-812 The reason most people don't want to change fuels is that it may stop them from using their much loved cars, but have no fear, retro is always catered for. I still play my N64 today even though it was made in a world of CRT TVs, non-surround sound and boxy graphics, so too will you be able to run your petrol powered super car from petrol made using solar energy and water in a world of hydrogen or electric cars. The project is in development and I think this is is the only real way to stop global warming and boost the economy. Alternative fuels are the future but right now we need less co2 and more oil so let's speed up development and see if we can pause climate change, while men in sheds work out how to mass produce a clean alternative energy. The reason most people don’t want to change fuels is that it may stop them from using their much loved cars, but have no fear, retro is always catered for. I still play my N64 today even though it was made in a world of CRT TVs, non-surround sound and boxy graphics, so too will you be able to run your petrol powered super car from petrol made using solar energy and water in a world of hydrogen or electric cars. The project is in development and I think this is is the only real way to stop global warming and boost the economy.
Alternative fuels are the future but right now we need less co2 and more oil so let’s speed up development and see if we can pause climate change, while men in sheds work out how to mass produce a clean alternative energy.

]]> By: SUTSKI http://foreman.blogs.topgear.com/2008/10/22/never-mind-the-banks-heres-the-future/#comment-783 SUTSKI Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:39:36 +0000 http://bbcforeman.wordpress.com/?p=219#comment-783 Hey Kwyjibo: No I haven't, but: "Burns then reveals to Smithers his grandest scheme: the construction of a giant, movable disk that will permanently block out the sun in Springfield, forcing the residents to continuously use the electricity from his nuclear power plant". Too funny, quote thanks to wikipedia !! haha Hey Kwyjibo: No I haven’t, but:

“Burns then reveals to Smithers his grandest scheme: the construction of a giant, movable disk that will permanently block out the sun in Springfield, forcing the residents to continuously use the electricity from his nuclear power plant”.

Too funny, quote thanks to wikipedia !! haha

]]>