Scientists and researchers agree that we are on the edge of important developments in the effort to find renewable energy sources, especially for cars.
While some may argue that the advancement of corn ethanol was a major discovery in making cars more environmentally friendly, the truth is that it does not produce less carbon monoxide than gasoline, and is even less efficient than fossil fuels when it comes to mileage.
So the biggest question now is, do we continue to fund research for bio-fuels — which consumed 40 percent of America’s corn industry in 2010 — or do we turn our attention toward solar power? The resounding answer from scientists is that photovoltaic power (solar panels) is the best, most efficient and completely renewable resource on the planet. It also generates little to no greenhouse gases. The only thing stopping car companies from producing only solar-powered cars is the money it takes to install photovoltaic versus how much people are willing to spend. In other words, the technology is still slightly too expensive for solar-powered cars to become accessible to the average driver.
So what does this mean for cars, and fuel in general, in the future?
Roland Geyer, professor of environmental science and management at U.C. Santa Barbara, told a science magazine that, “the cost of solar power is dropping, and our quick calculations suggest that with the federal tax credit, electric vehicles are already competitive.” He added, ”What it says to me is that by continuing to throw money into bio-fuels, we’re barking up the wrong tree.” In the battle for alternative fuel for cars, some scientists and organizations are still hopeful that bio-fuel can be refined and improved in the next few years, but the fundamental problem of CO2 emissions and fewer miles to the gallon will still be an issue.
“If there is a silver bullet in energy,” Geyer said, “I think it’s solar power.”