CNG Plus Hybrid Power Equals Wow!
Of all of the hundreds of vehicles on display at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, one of the most intriguing to me was the compressed natural gas powered Toyota Camry Hybrid concept. Toyota is a leader when it comes to hybrid technology, producing the gas-electric Prius and other models including the Camry. But, a natural gas-electric hybrid Camry is a new idea, one that hasn't been considered for production until now. According to Toyota, compressed natural gas produces lower particulate emissions, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and non-methane organic gases and less CO2 per unit of energy when compared to gasoline. It can also run at higher compression ratio and is quickly dispersed into the atmosphere should a leak occur. Best of all, natural gas is one resource in abundant supply in the US and costs as much as 40% less than gasoline. So, why aren't natural gas cars being produced?
That's easy: the infrastructure for natural gas is currently not in place, with fewer than 1000 refueling stations nationwide. Under half of those stations aren't open to the public, making refueling difficult if not impossible in some areas of the country. If the federal government commits to expanding our natural gas infrastructure then the chances of the Toyota CNG hybrid going into production improves. This is something the next Administration will want to tackle as natural gas burns cleaner and reduces our dependency on foreign sources of oil, especially oil purchased from countries who are openly hostile to our way of life. The displayed Camry concept is powered by the standard 2.4L, 4-cylinder engine found in base model Camry's today. With Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, the gasoline fuel system is replaced with a compressed natural gas system, the main difference between the two hybrid Camry models. Producing 170 horsepower, the CNG Camry Hybrid would get nearly identical fuel economy to the gas electric Hybrid, 33 combined fuel economy. Two compressed natural gas fuel tanks are stored in the spare tire well area of the car, safely removing the tanks from view. Alas, the CNG hybrid Camry will not go into production anytime soon, other than perhaps for regional availability in markets such as Southern California which can support these types of vehicles. With gas prices being so low again, a compressed natural gas car isn't ideal right now but it could be when gas prices start climbing again next Spring. By then, the Obama Administration may have a new energy policy in place, one that embraces alternative fuel sources including compressed natural gas.
In today鈥檚 fearful climate, you don鈥檛 want to be making radioactive gases in your garage. They have labels for people who do that. But any water-powered car inventor will tell you: they don鈥檛 need to create radioactive hydrogen gas to power their cars. They just want to split water. You may be surprised, or skeptical, to learn you can pump hydrogen gas into your Ford鈥檚 engine and it鈥檒l work just the same as regular unleaded gasoline. Ready for the weirder part? The engine exhaust is water vapor. I鈥檝e seen it with my own eyes. This may be a water-powered car鈥檚 biggest selling point: it鈥檚 super clean tech. You need an electrical current to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Where do you get that? If you use a battery, any environmentalist worth their vegan bacon will tell you: battery technology is not clean. This is the biggest problem for electric cars being hailed as environmental saviors. Battery production is a very dirty industry.
If you use renewable resources like wind and solar to power the batteries used to split the water, that鈥檚 about as clean as it gets. But think about it鈥娾€斺€妕hat鈥檚 really not much different from electric cars. So, then why do we need water-powered cars? Plus, isn鈥檛 it a bad idea to turn water into the new oil? The case for a water-powered car is about power, both electrical and socio-political. Devotees of Nikola Tesla think our physics books need to be rewritten. Modern accepted science and Tesla parted ways after Einstein鈥檚 Theory of Relativity re-shaped how we imagine the universe that surrounds and exists inside of us. Gone was Tesla鈥檚 idea of an ether of energy. Tesla described electricity as a feature of a pervasive field of energy--all part of a vibrating universe, that manifested as a coordinated dance of frequencies. To Tesla, the universe and everything in it could be understood as vibrations. In the post-Einstein world, Tesla鈥檚 alternative theory of energy is now considered scientific heresy. Only the true believers still hold their faith in Tesla's view of the universe.
However, following his methods, these garage tinkerers and shade tree physicists seem to work electrical miracles. And they claim this is the real reason why the government won鈥檛 let them build water-powered cars. It鈥檚 all part of a century-long fight that goes back to Tesla and his former boss, Thomas Edison. I once wrote a story about people who drive slow in the fast lane; while researching it I contacted the California Highway Patrol to get clarification on the law. The officers were surprisingly open and helpful. Two officers sat with me and answered all my questions. Curious about why water-powered cars are not allowed on California鈥檚 roads, I sent an email to my contact at the CHP. He politely said he鈥檇 look into it and get back to me. After waiting a month, I checked back with him. I still haven鈥檛 heard anything. Since the CHP won鈥檛 talk, I checked the law books myself. According to the California vehicle code, all vehicles must be deemed 鈥渞oad-worthy.鈥?Which means you can鈥檛 just build a car in your backyard and take it for a spin. There are certain regulations the car must meet.