Okay, if it was up to me, I would so be done with paying for gas. Driving to school and work every day hurts my gas tank – and my wallet. Every time I put more money into my car, I can feel my heart break a little more. I do have to say, working at an establishment where I’m given tips every week does help out with the expenses. Despite this, I would still be okay living a life that didn’t include paying for gas. As a commuter who doesn’t see herself giving up driving anytime soon, the idea of fuel-alternative transportation is a beautiful thing.
Let’s talk about what Ford Motors has going on. Recently they released the concept for the C-MAX Solar Energi, which would be able to run on solar panels and the sun. While that might not be so favorable for Washington, it’s something that could work really well for a lot of other places around the world. The only downside is, I’m not thinking this car would be so affordable. First off, the car has to charge under a certain magnifying glass called of Fresnel lens, which would be on top of a 15 foot carport. So, it’ll only be able to charge at home or wherever you have this carport built. According to Michael Tinskey, Ford’s associate director of vehicle electrification and infrastructure says that an average city gets about seven hours of sunlight a day, which is how long the car would need to charge to be completely full. That’s kind of a bummer too because nowadays, who really has the time to sit around all day? Another kink that Ford needs to work out is that the C-MAX would only be able to run 21 miles on electricity before it kicks into the gas engine.
My favorite concept that I’ve seen for a car thus far is the Toyota FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle). The FCV is genius. Not only will the car run on hydrogen alone, but it will only emit water vapor. Water vapor. Can you imagine the wonders it would do for the environment? Cars that only emit water vapor is the exact thing we need. We’ve already done enough damage to our world, it’s really the least we could do. Anyways. The car will have a 300 mile range, will be able to go from zero to sixty in ten seconds, and can refuel its hydrogen tank in three to five minutes. I’m getting giddy just thinking about it. With hydrogen being so abundant, it would be beneficial all around. Fueling stations for the FCV have already been approved and the vehicle will be able to be purchased in 2015. The catch? The price range goes from $50,000 to $100,000. One can dream.
In my lifetime, I do hope that I’ll be able to own a car like the FVC. Hell, I hope all vehicle owners own a car like the FCV. We as humans are spending too much of our hard earned money on gas that’s just turning around and contributing to the downfall of our environment.
Until next time.