Yes, some already get involved when choosing between 95 or 98 gasoline, or diesel and biodiesel, etc., imagine if there were other fuels for cars. Well, stop imagining, since there are. That is why we are going to show the top of rarer fuels which have been tested for vehicle engines.
And it is that if the Back to the future thing when they fed the DeLorean with nuclear fuel or with garbage It seems strange to you, wait until you see this and let Doc and Marty McFly tremble...
Very animal fuels…
Of course, surely it sounds to you that it has been tried to use soybean and other vegetable oils to create cleaner diesel fuel, such as biodiesel. However, surely you did not know that even animal fats have also been tested to make these biofuels. So thats it.
And it is that, although you did not know it, the chicken animal fat, for example, and that is discarded in other meat industries, can be turned into fuel. In addition, it can be used both alone and also mixed with fuel of fossil origin (petroleum) so that they work in engines that do not need any type of modification.
Sawdust
The carpentry has been full of fuel and you didn't know it. And it is that the sawdust it has also been investigated as a source of fuel for automobiles, since every year the timber industry generates thousands of tons that could be used.
Many biomass industries have been using this type of fuel to produce electricity, but projects have also been developed where some chemicals have successfully converted sawdust into components to create a synthetic gasoline. Nothing to do with those years in which the steam engines of the first cars were fed with wood chips or sawdust...
Corn
Corn, apart from making popcorn, could also boost your car. This sounds crazy, but many already use it and don't even know it. And it is that E85 flexible fuel vehicles work with both pure gasoline or ethanol E85. The latter is a mixture of 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol, which is produced from corn.
While this biofuel is also cleaner, it produces other problems in your productionIn addition to the higher cost, it requires arable land for plantations. And this can contribute to deforestation or the use of this food for the fuel industry, reducing production for food.
Hemp (marijuana)
drive a car with hemp It could be the wet dream of many hippies, but the truth is that it is totally possible and affordable at the same time. And it is that some researchers have found that using some fermented oils from the seeds and stems of hemp a fuel can be created.
Being a plant that is easily cultivated and harvested, it can be obtained from it a cheap and efficient source non-fossil fuel. In addition, it is also possible to follow the example of corn and obtain ethanol from this plant, so it is versatile, and many would like to "vacuum" the smoke from these cars. No?
Trash
A Californian waste management company has created one of the most renewable and curious fuel stations in the world, where one of the most rarer fuels from garbage. And it is that the gas produced by the landfill that is generated is collected, liquefied and purified to be able to drive its own fleet of garbage trucks.
Waste Management, the company we are referring to, claims that it can produce up to about 50.000 liters of liquefied gas per day, which is a huge amount of this fuel for your entire fleet. This is causing the emissions of this company to be drastically reduced, and it is also taking advantage of solid urban waste.
And you don't have to go far to see projects like this. SEAT is one of our country's biggest supporters of running garbage-based vehicles in the Life Methamorphosis project. The idea was to transform various wastes of organic origin into biofuels, obtaining biomethane through garbage to drive gas cars.
Air
Another of the rarest fuels is the air. Yes, the air. You have it as soon as you open the window, it's free and it can drive a vehicle. We all know that it has been used in yachting for a long time to power sailboats, but it can also be used in cars.
There are vehicles that store high pressure compressed air on board in special tanks. These cars date from the 20s. And, although they have problems such as filling the tanks or their safety, the idea is not completely ruled out, and some companies continue with this idea of driving the cars by air. compressed (using the pressure to drive the piston).
An example of this type of car is in Tata Motors. India has set serious goals to reduce emissions through cars that move thanks to compressed air, and already has some for 3 passengers that move at speeds of up to 64 km/h.
SOL
Surely you also imagined this, use Solar energy to drive vehicles. There are already several prototypes of this type of solar car that you will have seen. And it is that this free energy can be used to produce electricity and thus move electric motors or store it in a battery for when it is necessary.
Therefore, the sun could be another of the rarest fuels that exist and that some did not imagine could "fill" the tank of their car. And a practical example is the Aptera Engine project, with his vehicle driven 100% by solar energy thanks to the photovoltaic panels that cover his body.
Tea
The company Genepax, of Japanese origin, has been researching to make cars run only on water and they also ensure that with tea they achieved the same effect. Yes, and basically it is a hydrogen vehicle, which allows the separation of hydrogen from water and oxygen in order to obtain electricity in its fuel cell.
Will it work with beer or wine? The truth is that many are terrified of the answer to this question, because the cars could leave them without their favorite elixir... But don't worry, they haven't said anything about these drinks at the moment.
Saltwater
In addition to fresh water, there is also a project that aims to create a model of salt water powered car. In this project, water from the sea or the ocean (so abundant) can be stored and then said water will circulate through a membrane to finally generate energy.
So far, the car project has traveled 350.000 kilometers using only salt water, although it is only a prototype in tests. But, without a doubt, it is an innovative marvel that could end a lot of problems.
Alcohol
And, to finish the list of rarest fuels, we must also mention alcohol. This idea arose in the 60s, where it was intended that a diesel car also work with alcohol as its main fuel. As the story goes, this car managed to cover quite a few miles using tequila as fuel.
As you can see, ideas about Alternative fuels They are not lacking, but some of these projects sound more practical than others. And some could end up with emissions problems. Will we see any prosper? I have no doubt...