12 6 NOTES Alternative Fuel Cars D 6

• D. 6 Alternate-Fuel Vehicles • Personal vehicles consume ~ 50% of petrol

• Compressed Natural Gas • Natural gas condensed under high pressure that is

• Fuel-Cell Power • Became practical in the 1960 s • Any fuel

• Advantages • Don’t require recharging • Eliminate/reduce air pollutants • Difficulties: •

• Hybrid Gasoline-Electric Power • Hybrid vehicles have a gas engine and a

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12. 6 - NOTES Alternative Fuel Cars

• D. 6 Alternate-Fuel Vehicles • Personal vehicles consume ~ 50% of petrol burned for fuel

• Compressed Natural Gas • Natural gas condensed under high pressure that is stored in metal cylinders; substitute fuel • • Advantages: • Wide availability • • 80% decrease in CO and NO emissions • • Disadvantages: • Increase cost of vehicle $2 - $4000 • • High fire risk due to pressure •

• Fuel-Cell Power • Became practical in the 1960 s • Any fuel containing hydrogen can be used in a fuel cell • - The reaction for the fuel is 2 H 2 + O 2 2 H 2 O + electrical energy - Water is a widely used fuel source for fuel cells - The electrons produced that provide the energy are prevented from passing back to the fuel side by a membrane - Platinum electrodes catalyze the removal of electrons from hydrogen atoms

• Advantages • Don’t require recharging • Eliminate/reduce air pollutants • Difficulties: • Handling/processing • High Cost

• Hybrid Gasoline-Electric Power • Hybrid vehicles have a gas engine and a electric motor • Batteries recharge while driving • Can store some “lost” energy for later use, making them more efficient than normal cars, which use only 25% of fuel • Typically can get upwards of 40 mpg and can go 650 miles on one tank of gas