Next Generation Vehicles: Addressing Air Quality, Fuel and Efficiency

One hundred years ago, the automobile began showing up on the streets of our country. Many experts at the time opined that it was nothing more than a novelty. The horse, after all, had been the primary transportation source for thousands of years. Now, the car is mainstream and everything else is novelty – not to be taken seriously. The problem is that the internal combustion engine has not changed significantly since its introduction. It has been a great resource, yet it also has its weaknesses. The number one man-made contributor to dirty air is the automobile. Couple that with rising gas prices and national security issues associated with fuel resources, and one can clearly see why many are looking for alternatives to the gasoline powered internal combustion engine. The good news is there are two strong contenders to replace gasoline powered automobiles: electric vehicles and natural gas-powered vehicles.