Space Forum / Shuttle / January 2008

Everywhere I read, I read that ethanol is the next fuel to save us
from a fossil fuel dependant, over heated, polluted future.
This emphasis seems to be the case particularly in the USA. That's
understandable when you consider that the USA is the one great
industrial nation that until recently never really embraced diesel
engines like Europe. So you can understand their infatuation with
ethanol - but that does not make it the right or the only choice.
In September Renault demonstrated its new hydrogen fuel cell powered
207 cabriolet, 28 bhp electric motor, 81 mph and an operating range of
218 miles, producing nothing but water as its sole emission. This
month it was BMW with their new hydrogen power 7 series. They already
have 3 fuel stations up and running in Germany with more planed. In
October another manufacturer announced their hybrid system which
converts braking energy not into electricity, but into compressed gas
which is then used to help acceleration.
So clearly there are other options - however all of this is rather
misses the point. None of these technologies help the power generation
industry, nor do they meet the needs of the merchant navy, road
hauliers or railway companies, all of whom, at least outside the USA,
run on diesel....

http://groups.google.com/group/waterforfueld