Fuel isn’t getting any cheaper but with the rise in population, there is plenty of demand for vehicles. While there are various alternative fuels, alternative vehicles to gasoline, there are hybrids, electric cars too. But, what if there were cars that run on alternative fuels that sound too wacky to be true? Sounds like I’m goofing around right? But, the following article speaks otherwise. You’re sure to be baffled and stunned after reading the various alternative sources that can power vehicle.

With the price of $ 4.00 a gallon, gas prices aren’t a distant memory and hence alternative fuels are all the rage to cut expenditures. What would happen if the vehicles ran out of the existing fuels, how would travel be possible then? Between hydrogen fuel cells, bio diesel, electricity and compressed air, the industrialized world is hard at work creating the next generation of non-oil consuming vehicles. These new, eco-friendly chariots deserve at least as much attention and fanfare as the fuels that power them, especially these 7 models that are certainly worth propagating.

7. Hydrogen fuel cells:

Hydrogen powered cars… Hmmmm, why didn’t I think of that? Well, anyways the prospect of hydrogen-powered cars has been enticing eco-friendly motorists for years. In fact, car-makers are grappling with a whole host of technical challenges to efficiently store hydrogen in a vehicle or how to prevent it from freezing and/or catching fire and this has not stopped the creation process of fuel-efficient, hydrogen-powered proof of concept cars. Mercedes Benz is one such company that has taken that one extra step to bring out a luxuriant bad boy into the market with a hefty price tag.

6. Compressed air:

Compressed air? You’ve got to be kidding, or may be not. This is quite tantalizing among all other alternate fuel sources because its Compressed AIR!!.  That’s pretty much what it takes to get this car on the go. The concept was designed by French engineers and was supposed to be available to American drivers by 2010. The AIRPOD works on a similar concept and albeit its challenges, it is noteworthy. The concept that was designed on compressed air required nothing more than compressed air to cruise around at the speed of 35 MPG. The advantage is that this car is supposedly an affordable one and is to bag a price tag of $ 20,000/-.

5. Vegetable Oil:

This is a drool worthy concept to environmentalists and tree huggers. The idea of developing a car that runs on Vegetable oil seems pretty wacky to say the least. Ever since the idea was first proposed, the reality is pretty much in existence from its proposed state. Experts at Volkswagen have developed with their clean conscience a bio diesel-powered beetle and this requires very little waiting time. There is a fleet readily available for sale/rent. HQ in Maui, this is the nation’s first ever Bio-Beetle, so yaay for environmentalists.

4. Ethanol

Most of us are already using ethanol in our vehicles, as federal law requires a certain percentage of it to be in the gasoline we buy. But by 2010, Suzuki Motor Company begin selling cars that are completely, 100% powered by it. Where’s the car if its real you ask?

There’s a picture below that proves the point. The first ever car to run on this technology was the E25 sedan that was to go on sale in Brazil.

 

3. H20 (Gulp!! Yes, you read that right…WATER!!)

Japanese car (called the Genepax) can travel roughly 80 kilometers per hour, for an hour, on just one liter of water as its fuel source. Hydrogen electrons from water power this car in order to produce electricity that in turn is used to power up this car. To all the critics who so dismissively assumed no car could ever run on water, the Genepax is a most welcome retort!  Meanwhile, there is another car being developed in India by a small autopreneur who is using a similar concept.

2. Electrical power

Bzzrrrttt, hell yeah!! If a car can run on veggie oil, why not electricity? Believe you me, this is possible and this is no fantasy. There is a vehicle that has been designed by the French automaker we all love (Peugeot) who conceptualized this car and this car looks pretty space age-ish with its flaunt worthy 2 seats and such. Its 2 huge front wheels can also rotate at different speeds and swivel a full 360 degrees. There has been no announcement on when this car would come to reality, but doesn’t just reading all of this motivate you? I sure am!!

1. Wood pellets (aka Biomass)

“How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”

If the above astonishments haven’t taken you by surprise, then how about a dose of wood? The car pictured here literally rubs on wooden pellets. That’s right – essentially the same thing one might burn in a wood stove or campfire for heat is what powers this rugged, outdoors-y vehicle. Its all part of what is known as biomass, a catchall term referring to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel.

Bottom Line:

Hope these alternative sources have blown your mind, if not try some vegetable oil 😛