Why hasn't a company or anyone invest in fuel alternatives in the future?

Question

Russia has fossil fuel stored away since the cold war and perhaps beyond. You already about the middle east. As seeing that gas prices is now over 3 bucks a gallon, I don't see why someone hasn't come up with alternatives such as soy bean or making biodiesel more consumer friendly. Fossil fuels won't last forever. Hyrdrogen may be a good source but hard to keep it pressurized and cooled. There has to be some other viable fuel source. How far do you think electric cars can go? We will have a fuel shortage at the end of our life time for us thirtysomethings. Does anyone have any answers?

Answer 1

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Electric vehicles are the future. Take a look at what a couple of modern electric cars look like:
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http://zapworld.com/zapworld.aspx?id=4560
http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html
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The ZAP-X has a 350-mile range, a top speed of 155 mph, puts out 644 horsepower, charges in 10 minutes, and has a battery pack that should last the life of the car (better than 250,000 miles.) The Phoenix uses the same Altairnano Nanosafe li-ion batteries, and is a real car - being built right now for fleet use. Prices for hand-built cars are $60,000 for the ZAP-X, $45,000 for the Phoenix. These prices could fall a lot when mass-production becomes feasible.
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But you don't even have to spend lots of money if you want to try out an electric car. Freeway-capable EV conversions (normal cars converted to electric) can be found for as little as $5000. Link:
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http://squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car
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This is the kind of electric car I drive. Electricity to drive it only costs me about a penny per mile! More info in that above link.
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Answer 2

I recently saw on "fifth gear" programm an electric car that was really fast and looked stunning. I think this is the future, as you can generate your own electricity from wind or solar power, and more people would have these things for their home electricity in the future anyway, so apart from the cost of materials for the solar sells and wind turbine there would be no cost for fuel. The only thing is that since it's something relatively new - they are not that affordable at the moment for the general public. (Maybe the electric car manufacturers should start offering a solar chargers or wind turbines with the package:-).
But otherwise I think it's just not profitable for anyone to invest in development of new fuel technologies, because main investors in it are fuel companies, like BP. and they are only investing into it because they are afraid that they will be out of business if someone developes new fuel. And since they are doing quite good out of selling curent fuel - they are not willing to give up positions. Never know how the market would turn out with new fuels...

Answer 3

I don't think any denier anywhere, has said that they would not use an alternative source if it were cheaper. AGW surrealists seem to think that by eliminating the cheapest forms of energy, you will reduce the cost of energy. I would say these people should study economics a little more. On a strictly financial basis, my money goes into a mutual fund and I have no idea where it is invested from there. If I were to find out that I lost $1000 because the biofuels section of Cap & Trade was taken out, I would be estatic. Your entire pretense that our motivation is purely based on financial gain is rather foolhardy, and only understandable if your entire motivation is based on financial gain.

Answer 4

alternative fuels is all about a cycle of recycling so you would interrupt the cycle if stored. Electric cars can go far really far 300 miles on Lithium ion batteries of course that will increase over time because cars will get lighter once all the cars are hybrids and electrics. As of right now you can have an electric car go 150 miles moving at 80 mph, 300miles at 60mph, also the car can go 0-60 in 7seconds and other are faster.

Answer 5

All I can say it it is every persons job to protect their own energy security to protect their family. Have energy efficient lights and appliances in your home, and a fuel efficient car in your driveway. If you can get one that can also run on biofuels.

This way, when a severe energy crisis hits and prices go way up ($3 a gallon is nothing. Just wait, you'll see. Look up peak oil and guess what gas will be in 5 years) you'll be as prepared as you can be. Part of that preparation means moving closer to work, and fixing up your house so it uses less energy. Good luck! Start by telling all your friends and family to sell the SUV's and buy more aerodynamic, more fuel efficient wagons (if they NEED the cargo space) or biofuel capable vehicles that can use E85 or Biodiesel.

Answer 6

although its true that fossil fuels wont last forever. however; there is alot more oil that they want u to believe. If the big oil companies was to come out and say there's plenty of oil. they would loose the ability to sucker ppl. if they keep gettin ppl to believe were low in oil then they can justify the high prices. but there is alot more oil out there than you think. a fuel shortage in our life time is a myth. oil is the leftovers from dead animals and plants of millions and billions of years ago. even if everyone flew the space shuttle to go down the street or down to the store for a gallon milk. we would still have oil for along time. do u actually think that the big oil companies are being honest with us. they problably know of oil reserves that they havent told the feds about. contrary to public belief its the ppl that owne the oil fields around the world that set the prices for oil. they have found many alernate fuel supplies solar isnt good enough yet to take the place of gas. there are private companies;government that do research and even the oil companies. because even they know that one day in the far far off future oil will be gone kinda. they are going to wanna corner the market.
so technically crude oil is actually a never ending resource all organic matter has the possibility of turning into oil

Answer 7

My dad is a retired petroleum engineer/research mathmatician who worked for the U.S.'s largest oil company.
Yes, there is oil, but not as much and of a poorer quality than what oil companies want to drill for. Poor quality oil means more refining and more expense to the oil company. If they can't recoup their investment than they won't drill for it.
Before Exxon took over Mobil, Mobil was doing experiments with alternative fuels. Exxon cut that program.
There are many factors into why alternative fuels aren't doing better. It involves a lot of coordination between the auto makers, the government and whoever is a distributer of the new fuel.

Answer 8

1st of all there's plenty of oil, it's the refining capacity that's driving up gas prices. There hasn't been a new refinery built in the US in years. They keep blaming Katrina for cutting refining capacity. Europe was rebuilt faster after WWII than that refinery in Louisiana. I heard today that the profit on barrel of gasoline was $30.00 per barrel. Why would any company look for alternate fuel technology when they're printing money with the current system. In the 70's (yeah, I'm old) during the oil embargo people refused to buy gasoline and set their thermostats lower to conserve. Wonder of wonders, prices came down. No one today wants to sacrifice and, as long as you pay the oil companies will be more than happy to take your money! So, you get people to stop buying SUVs and pick up trucks they don't need and get people to make a few less trips per week and the oil companies will cry uncle.

BTW, how many SUVs have ever been off road? How many pick up trucks in Chicago or New York or Boston and their suburbs have ever hauled a load or plowed a road? We are owned by the advertisers who convince us that we need these inefficient automobiles to assuage our need to be "Country".

Answer 9

They have! Go to www.eagleresearch.com I reckon you'll be impressed. I have a hydrogen unit in my car that I bought from Scott Matiz, can't recall the website he has but you can buy such a unit (it makes small amount of hydrogen that is fed into air intake and so supplements the petrol the car runs on) for about U.S. $250 or so. If you have an EFI car, you also need an EFI enhancer from eagleresearch.com There's a care now being produced that runs on compressed air! In spain I think. Just googe compressed air car and see what you think. Eagle research has most wide-ranging variety of systems to supplement or replace fossil fuels.

Answer 10

first off there are estimates of around 500 years of oil at current Levels and if we keep on becoming more efficiant , Who Knows. In the 70's another Oil crisis was at hand and Millions were spent By companies and Individuals on alternatives and as some of them started taking off Oil Prices dropped and these groups LOST everything! Gas has Been 6-9 $ per gallon in Europe for years and yet they have done Little to create Alternatives. So $3 is Not gooing to drive Much in the way of Change. I will tell you this the Market Needs to Drive it NOT Laws.