Advanced Technology Vehicles
Advanced Technology Vehicles is actually a category of alternative fuel vehicles that do not simply use fuels on the approved list. Although there are many kinds of advanced technology vehicles such as:
solar powered vehicles -->
we will quickly mention two types of advanced technology vehicles; the hybrid, and the fuel cell.
The Hybrid Electric Vehicles are vehicles which are powered by two or more sourcs. An energy conversion unit (usually a combustion engine) and an energy storage device (usually a battery). Because the two systems work together they have the ability to be 2 to 3 times more fuel efficent, and more environmentally friendly. Two examples of this are:
The Honda Insight --> and the Toyota Prius -->
The Fuel Cell, is a very interesting new idea. A fuel cell would convert fuel into energy without going through the combustion step. This would cause these vehicles to be extremely efficent, and would significantly reduce emissions. The forerunner as the fuel choice right now is hydrogen. This is because of its ability to react with oxygen and only produce electricity and water. The hydrogen would be stored on the vehicle in one of two methods: one would be compressed gas in storage tanks, and the other would be liquid hydrogen in insulated storage tanks. Although no vehicles are commercially available yet, they are in dvelopment all over the world. Some of the models in the U.S. include:
Honda's Fuel Cell --> Ford's Fuel Cell --> Voltswagen's Fuel Cell -->
