| A lot of things have changed since I was a | | | | however and makes for a maintenance nightmare |
| youngster. I remember the day when I worked on | | | | because of the weight of the batteries carried in the |
| the corner gas station pumping gas, cleaning windows | | | | car cancel out any real advantage of having a hybrid |
| and checking oil, the last two of which you find very | | | | car in the first place. Don't get me wrong, it does |
| few stations doing anymore. The whole idea of | | | | some good just not enough to make a difference. |
| "full-service" is pretty much a thing of the past, | | | | You also have the companies and entrepreneurs that |
| however this is a subject for a different article. | | | | are working on pure electric cars. Unfortunately these |
| During those days I had the part-time job at the gas | | | | haven't made a big impact on the road right now |
| station, the ozone layer was something that | | | | because it requires so many batteries at the car is |
| astronomers and astronauts worried about and not | | | | incredibly heavy and the batteries and the batteries |
| something that he had to worry about breaking | | | | don't have a long life in the car so they have to be |
| down thereby burning a hole in this beloved planet | | | | replaced sooner than any engine overhaul would take |
| we live on. | | | | place. This is a very expensive ordeal as well as you |
| The cost of gas was $.16 a gallon - yes you heard | | | | have to find a specialty shop to that would be able |
| me - $.16 a GALLON! We drove cars that got on a | | | | to do it for you. They do have one battery that |
| good day 18 miles per gallon and it didn't break the | | | | does show some promise -it's called the "sulfur |
| bank or increase the interest rate on your credit card | | | | battery". The only problem with this battery is it |
| just to fill up the tank. We would ask mom and dad | | | | needs a key element in it out in the field to keep |
| for a five spot to go cruising up and down the main | | | | sulfur in its liquid state about 300 plus degrees. Not a |
| drag, not the credit card charge of $30 or more that | | | | good thing to have rumbling around in your trunk! |
| it takes now. It's no wonder that the old folks (like | | | | Let's face it batteries just have not made it to a |
| myself) who are now the parents of children cruisin' | | | | level or place where they can take to the road as |
| the drag came up with the idea of alternative fuels | | | | well as a gasoline engine. |
| to try and save ourselves a few bucks at the pump | | | | One of the more exciting things that I've seen is |
| as well as save the planet that we so dearly love | | | | called the hydrogen fuel-cell. This unique little device |
| and yet manage to almost destroyed the last 30 | | | | takes water and converts it to electricity by using |
| years or so. | | | | special layers of chemicals and minerals to separate |
| One solution to this has been to make engines | | | | the hydrogen in the action from each other and |
| smaller, cars smaller and sometimes I even wonder if | | | | causing his chemical reaction that generates electricity |
| they've made people smaller - because I sure can't fit | | | | between the plates and thereby supplying electricity |
| in these boxes. I actually saw a car that couldn't | | | | to whatever needs to be run-in this case the motor |
| have been more than a lawnmower engine with | | | | in the car. This is probably one of the more exciting |
| wheels, which were no larger than the ones I used | | | | developments as come along however it doesn't |
| to make my go carts out of when I was (once | | | | create a lot of electricity only creating a few |
| again) a kid! The car itself was boxy and it did sound | | | | milliamps or a few amps here and there where |
| a lot like a lawnmower going down the street but | | | | running cars can take hundreds of amps, especially |
| hey - I am sure it got great gas mileage! | | | | during hard acceleration. So until they develop this |
| Another solution is to change the gasoline we run our | | | | little bit further its out as well. |
| cars on. What does this mean? Well, we remove the | | | | Honestly I believe that at this point in time since we |
| lead, an anti-knock agent which was needed in the | | | | don't have anything else to run our cars are than |
| old days because we didn't have super computers | | | | gasoline, I believe the hybrid engine is the way to go. |
| tuning our cars for us as we drive. We eliminated | | | | But electricity doesn't really seem the way to go to |
| High octane fuel which to tell the truth pretty much | | | | me and additives to the fuel make it inefficient or |
| killed a lot of the old muscle cars (Ahh.. the sound of | | | | simply don't exist at this time. There has been one |
| a big V8 in the morning!). and then, we added ethanol | | | | promising area that I believe should be pursued... |
| (grain alcohol) to the gas to try to thin it out and help | | | | The idea of hydrogen being injected into an engine is |
| it run cleaner. A step in the right direction but | | | | a good idea-they actually came up with this some |
| personally, I always like my grain alcohol with a twist | | | | time ago running an engine completely on hydrogen. |
| and just a plash of gin! | | | | Do have to admit it was pretty much a rolling firetrap |
| The other solution we have come up with alternative | | | | if it ever got into an accident the hydrogen itself is |
| fuels. So far these consist of been added it to the | | | | very explosive in very small quantities so great care |
| fuels we've reduced or eliminated lead in the fuel | | | | has to be taken in its care and handling. |
| which was an anti-knock agent but it did so pollute | | | | Now here comes the idea I read about -- What if |
| our atmosphere in which since replaced it with grain | | | | one were able to use water as a fuel? It's plentiful, |
| alcohol (funny I used to look at that as a kid to drink | | | | it's everywhere and it's a renewable resource. "How |
| not to run my car on). The grain alcohol is supposed | | | | is it renewable" you ask? Well it's car were to run off |
| to reduce emissions while at the same time | | | | water, the only by-product coming out of the |
| converting some of the emissions to water vapor | | | | exhaust pipe would be --can you guess? Water! The |
| that goes into the doesn't do any good but it doesn't | | | | water goes up in the air, and comes down as rain. |
| do as much harm. But this is not the solution. | | | | It's renewed! It's a wonderful idea and a few people |
| They did have come out with hybrid cars now which | | | | are working on exactly that idea. Personally, I'm |
| run on electricity the last word a combination of | | | | hoping some big corporation picks up on the idea and |
| gasoline and electricity switching back and forth | | | | runs with it. It would be the best possible thing that |
| between the two is the load on the engine dictates. | | | | could happen to us as a planet and possibly even for |
| You have to admit this is a pretty smart idea | | | | us as a race! |