Evolution of Energy

California’s Air Resource Board ruled that the “Big Six” car manufacturers must sell 58K plug-in hybrids and 7.5K zero emissions cars. Instead of the zero emissions cars, they could alternatively sell 15K electric vehicles. They must sell these from 2012 to 2014. The largest challenge for manufacturers is the cost and weight of the battery. Currently, lithium-ion batteries, the kind in laptops, are where the most research is occurring. These batteries are lighter and smaller than the current nickel-metal hydrade batteries. Read more here.

Relying upon existing processes and traditional feedstocks for biofuel production may not result in large enough supply to replace any significant amount of petroleum based fuels. This is increasingly so as arable land becomes more and more scarce and politically creating fuels rather than food becomes undesirable. However, perhaps the solution will be found in technology; specifically, synthetic biology. Synthetic biology takes the smallest elements of life DNA to construct altered or custom microorganisms. These custom microorganisms can be used to decrease costs and increase efficiencies in biofuel production. Read more here.

Numerous start-ups are researching and beginning pilot plants to determine the viability and profitability of algae based biodiesel. Many production factors need to be figured out before this can be a long-term solution. Two large factors are bioreactor production limits due to light requirements and cost of processing (harvesting, drying, extraction). Read more here.

Toyota and Mitsubishi are experimenting with lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum materials to decrease the weight of cars and increase mpg. A carbon fiber Prius is estimated to get an astounding 92 mpg, while the standard Prius achieves 46 mpg. Toyota states the biggest barrier to decreasing the weight is the cost of the carbon fiber. Aluminum is also an attractive alternative to steal, as it weighs 2/3 less than steal and is significantly cheaper than carbon fiber. Read more here.

Tags: carbon+fiber, cars, prius, hybrids, mpg

Using bacteria from the stomachs of South American catfish, an independent researcher believes two barrels of oil could be produced from a ton of biomass. Though a pilot plant has yet to be produced, there are two California companies who are pursuing similar uses of bacteria. The key is likely finding the right bacteria and process to make the fuel the most economical. Read more here.

Tags: bacteria, biofuels, biomass