It seems that the auto industry is actually serious about alternative fuels. GM, for example, is offering flex fuel vehicles that can run on either E-85 ethanol or straight gasoline, depending on which one is cheaper at the pump at any given time. Other fuels include natural gas, propane, hydrogen, biodiesel, electricity, methanol, and p-series fuels.
I have to assume that alternative fuel technology will eventually find its way into high performance sports cars, although it’ll probably be the last vehicle segment to be addressed. Admittedly, it’s going to be quite a while before we see any changes, if ever.
Just out of curiosity, which of the alternative fuel technologies makes the most sense being integrated into a sports car? Or do you think that gasoline will ALWAYS be the best ingredient for performance?
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I'm sure a performance car could run off of just about any of the fuels listed above, but it's just not a sports car unless it's burning gas. (IMO)
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I can't say I really know all that much about the other types of fuels. From what I understand, the "summer blend" of gasoline that is required in all gas stations will contain ethanol instead of MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether). Here is an excerpt from this story at
The new regulations require refiners to replace the gasoline additive MTBE with more costly ethanol. The additive transition is scheduled for summer and ethanol producers in the Midwest may have trouble transporting enough of the fuel to key markets along the East Coast on a timely basis, according to the report.
The Energy Department reports that the U.S. ethanol industry continues to show serious growing pains that could bring higher fuel prices as well as cause short supplies at the pump.
The refining industry claims to have pointed out the difficulty ethanol producers might encounter in offsetting the loss of MTBE, which accounts for about 10 percent of every gallon of gasoline.
There are transportation issues with ethanol as well. Gasoline can be shipped in large quantities through an extensive network of pipelines. Ethanol, however, corrodes pipelines and must be transported in trucks or other relatively small volume carriers to terminals where the fuel is blended into gasoline.
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I think a hybrid using elctric motors could make sense in a performance car. You can use the motors to capture energy otherwise waaster during braking, and use the high torque they develop for acceleration.
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"'tis better to have zoomed and failed, than never to have zoomed at all." - Zoomin, 2001
Brazil has already gone totally Ethanol according to a story I saw on TV last night.They say thier cars run better on the E-85 than gas and it's $3 cheaper.
I see this happening here soon.Just like in the 80s when high octane Leaded gas disappeared.They started putting catalytic converters in cars in 73 and 15 yrs later there weren't enough old cars around to warrant selling leaded gas.You have to go to a race track or airfield to fill up a pre 72 big block car or suffer vapor lock.
Alternative fuels are going to be the next big change in transportation.First E-85,then onto Hydrogen.The technology is already there for hydrogen power,but the big job is putting in all the pumps and building the cars.
As far as sports cars and performance.Whatever fuel we are given we will find a way to race it and make it fast.My Z is fast enough on 97 octane Super-unleaded so I don't miss 110 octane leaded gas from the 70s.I read an article a while back about someone doing 200mph on the salt flats in a Hydrogen powered car.
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Just when you think they can't get any stupider,they keep talking.
Give me ethanol and a 30-40gal fuel cell. 118octane. Yum. I'll run 15:1.
Btw, ethanol from corn costs 1unit of energy for every 1.3units produced in ethanol. Ethanol from sugar cane (like brazil) nets out at about 8units of energy per 1 unit used to make it.
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It seems that the auto industry is actually serious about alternative fuels. GM, for example, is offering flex fuel vehicles that can run on either E-85 ethanol or straight gasoline, depending on which one is cheaper at the pump at any given time. Other fuels include natural gas, propane, hydrogen, biodiesel, electricity, methanol, and p-series fuels.
I have to assume that alternative fuel technology will eventually find its way into high performance sports cars, although it’ll probably be the last vehicle segment to be addressed. Admittedly, it’s going to be quite a while before we see any changes, if ever.
Just out of curiosity, which of the alternative fuel technologies makes the most sense being integrated into a sports car? Or do you think that gasoline will ALWAYS be the best ingredient for performance?
==================================
I'm sure a performance car could run off of just about any of the fuels listed above, but it's just not a sports car unless it's burning gas. (IMO)
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