Henry Ford got interested in the chemurgic movement. That was perfectly sensible for a variety of reasons. The use of plants for medicinal and industrial purposes is not exactly new; the issue has always been cost and scalability.
Bioplastics are in principle a good thing. We have better uses for petroleum than turning it into soft drink bottles. But ... cost.
Ford was also an early proponent of ethanol fuel. (And Rudolf Diesel ran his first engines on biodiesel.) From a very long term perspective, this is also perfectly sensible. Oil has turned out to be for more abundant than we anticipated a century ago, but it is foolish to assume that the supply is infinite. We drill in the arctic, we drill offshore in some of the stormiest oceans in the world, we are fracking, and in a pinch (e.g. the Germans in WWII), we turn coal into fuel oil. But at some point, the cost curves between oil and alternative fuels will probably cross.
The left has gone all-in on electric, which may not be the right choice. As things stand now, it does give the Chinese a stranglehold on the necessary rare earth minerals, which may be the left’s hidden objective. (Follow the money.) The attempt to strongarm an all-electric future has also produced an entirely unnecessary backlash. We should have robust RD&D programs covering all the major options. Then let the markets decide.
There are still plenty of engineers around who think hydrogen fuel cells are the best option in the long run for vehicle fuels. Biofuels face scalability problems, but if (when) we crack the code on algal or microbial conversion, probably with bioengineered organisms that will dramatically boost yield, it will be Katie bar the door. The theoretical potential is huge. The technology is doable and largely in hand. The question at this point is cost, and the right algae or microorganism might solve that problem.
In the first decade of this century, the price of oil rose from $12 a barrel in the wake of the First Gulf War to $150 a barrel by 2008, when a recession and fracking brought it back down. At that point, everyone in plant sciences with a test tube was working on second and third generation biofuels. Corn ethanol graduated to market viability when oil reached the range of $60-80 a barrel; this is when the U.S. ethanol industry built out; the only problem is that corn doesn’t scale much beyond what we have now, so corn ethanol is still primarily a fuel extender. Get algae and microbes into the game, and the Arabs will have to go back to riding camels and eating scorpions in the desert, while the assorted other oil-based tyrannies around the world would collapse. I call this a win-win solution. I’m rooting for the test tube guys.
Solid state nanoglass aluminum,sodium,.potassium,.and magnesium cells are going to end internal combustion for everything but heavy ocean shipping, very long haul trucks, and some rail. These cells have double and triple the energy density of LFP or LMC cells anything being done today with those cells will habe triple the range with aluminum or magnesium. Sodium equals LFP at one quarter or less of the cost and they cannot burn neither can any of the solid state cells you cannot burn glass or ceramics.
Tesla semi already hits 500 miles with 50,000 lb payloads they demonstrated it with concrete standardized K rails for all to see. Given that most shipping by tonne weight is under 500 miles. But but long haul nope most goods move under 250 thems the real data not imaginary trucker lore.
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2023/08/20230808-doefotw.html
Most rail is going to go to natural gas to meet tier 4 emissions as diesel locos are the last unfiltered exhaust they make huge amounts of NOX and PM2.5, never fear Cummins has zero/zero/zero engines in the X15 line that are zero NOx,SOx,PM2.5 ready today that meet zero emissions not just tier 4. Optifuel will swap out your dirty EMD for a cluster of X15s that are not only 30% more fuel.efficient they are zero emissions too. Plus they can run on synthetic methane made with nukes or renewable methane made from dairy cow manure which is their eco-friendly fuel they are pushing. Waste not want not the cow poo has to be processed and cleaned anyways you can’t dump it in lagoons anymore nor into a watershed. Those X15 have a X15H version that can run on hydrogen with zero emissions as well as LPG gas. Nukes make for very cheap hydrogen once you get the capex down for electrolysis under $500 per kg of capacity. That was crossed a few years ago and the richest man in India has a company putting out alkaline electrolysis with zero platinum group metals at $200 per KG of H2, his gigafactory is up and more are coming. Hydrogen is used for petrochemicals in the billions of KG every year it’s a big deal to have a alkaline zero Pt metal at commercial scale he is in a trillion dollar market just in chemicals and hydroprocessing alone. Even if not one KG gets used for fuel. With anything ubeer $500 KG you can use off peak or curtailment power to make H2 and store it in aluminum lined composite tanks. It’s boomer FUD that you cannot store H2 and it make all metals brittle. That’s patently false H2 storage was solved decades ago. Aluminum is not made brittle by H2 not even at cryogenic temps. Optifuel warranties their H2 tanks for 20 years of use this is the 21st century.
Most regional rail is under 150 miles per day class 2 locos not class 1. For those a single box car of LFP cells out of 100 for a 101 long regional train makes for a pure electric haul. With solid state cells that box car tender sends that same train 450+ miles and you don’t have to change to locomotive it’s already electric the diesel just sits off till you need it the electric axles don’t care if they get 600V DC from the diesel generator or from the 800V box car tender. Optifuel also has hybrids just like this. 60% fuel savings when in diesel mode as a kicker. The battery takes over the peaks of demand and when you brake you regen vs heating brake pads and air via the resistance grids. It’s win win.
For LDVs such as cars and light trucks that are grocery getters,looking at you truck bros with beds that have not a scratch on them not a worn trailer hitch ball if a ball as at all. Solid state cells are going to end internal combustion in those vehicles. 600+ mile ranges are easy to do with aluminum cells same for magnesium or calcium all are 2+ electron metals and hold twice to 3x the energy of lithium. A 400 mile LMC tasks becomes a 1200 mile aluminum solid cell car. It’s irrelevant as solid state cells can do 10C charges if needed that’s 6 min from zero to full. With 300 miles of range that’s 4+ hours in the seat before the next 6 min charge. I have owned no less than a dozen vehicles from sports cars to trucks and SUVs that didn’t go past 250-300 miles per tank. Total range is irrelevant the 5-10 min refuel is what matters. 10C cells solve that issue hands down. The NACS plug and standard can do 900amps at 1000V in 6min that’s 90 kWh in 6 min. A full tesla uses 220wh per mile at 80mph that works oit to 410 miles worth of juice in 6 min. M model 3 uses 180 at the same speeds so in 6 min it’s over 500 miles of juice using V4 supercharger standards today. 10C charging makes EVs fuel up as fast as liquids. With the added benefits of home charging for one tenth the cost per mile of $2.75 petrol. 8 cents per kWh is 1.45 cents per mile in energy costs. A 30 mpg car would need to buy fuel for 44 cents per gallon to equal the same cost per mile in energy costs. But but EVs are to spensive. My model 3 cost $30,000 LESS than the S60 Volvo it replaced. $22,000 vs $53,000 it’s been saving me money since mile one. My lawyers model S status ssymbol is a different story he traded his 7 series 150K BMW for his Model S plaid it’s purely a status symbol but it was nearly 50 grand less than his BNW and much faster , it’s scary fast too it’s limiter at 150 mph.