Most of the auto manufacturers throughout the world are working feverishly to create cars that are smaller, more efficient and run on alternatives to fossil fuels.  There are now vehicles that run on hybrid engines, vehicles that run on biofuels, solar powered vehicles and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Of course, many of these vehicles are still in the experimental stage, with scientists, researchers and auto manufacturers looking closely at them – literally microscopically – to determine flaws and discover ways to improve the vehicles.

BMW is also participating in world wide efforts to create cars powered by alternative types of energy.  BMW is known for excellent automobiles and plans to use their high technology to produce a Mini that will live up to BMW’s standards.  “By introducing the Mini E, the BMW Group is underscoring the resolve with which it works towards reducing energy consumption and emissions in road traffic,” the company said.  BMW, as well as potential customers await the introduction the Mini E at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2008.

There is a catch, however.  Only 500 of these tiny and efficient cars will come to the United States and will be leased – not sold – at a hefty price of $850 per month, which is more than some people’s rent or house payment. They will only be available in New York, California and New Jersey as a test to see how well the market accepts the car and what consumers think.  In addition, the test will help uncover any changes or upgrades that might be necessary. 

Your $850 per month comes complete with all maintenance and repairs needed. The Mini E will be stylish with a big yellow plug logo painted on the roof and a serial number on the front bumper of each car. The car can be re-charged overnight in a regular outlet, or in 2.5 hours through a special high-speed charger.  The one drawback is that the car will be a two-seater at this point, because the battery is behind the seats and takes up a lot of space.  The future will determine whether or not there will be a smaller battery, and how soon it could be available.

There are always plusses and minuses when it comes to creating new products and ideas.  BMW is now stepping up to join the fight for workable and logical alternatives for fossil fuels.

It’s no secret.  We’re in a fuel crunch reminiscent of the 1970’s.  The difference is that since we didn’t do some of the things to follow up after the 70’s and 80’s, the crunch is bigger and there are many more cars and other vehicles involved.  To top that, since we are in the midst of just about the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, the fuel situation is simply one of the critical issues we are facing.

Lawmakers and automakers have begun talking about how working together might help everyone and everything out of the entire mess.  It is essential that since the country did not take the warnings of the 70’s and 80’s seriously and begin to make changes, the time to make those changes is now.

People cannot afford fuel at current prices.  In addition, the United States uses 25% of the world’s fuel, but only controls about 3%, not a good combination.  The environment is also being affected by fossil fuels and autoworkers are losing jobs because all of a sudden, there is no fuel for gas-guzzling SUV’s so nobody is buying.  It’s like dominos, or, as the President said recently, “a house of cards.”

What if the lawmakers in their power to help bail everybody else out – including other countries (even ones who have attacked this country) started really helping the automakers make the changes necessary to control the fuel crisis?  For instance, subsidies or tax incentives for producing hybrids and other cars that are more fuel efficient and do not depend on fossil fuels to run, could help failing automakers stay in business.  This help could also keep thousands of autoworkers from losing jobs and possibly create thousands of additional jobs, strengthening the economy.

At the other end of the spectrum, creating incentives and making it easier for individuals to get car loans with lower interest rates (without being careless or ridiculous), would help wean people out of their fossil fuel cars and into alternatives that would be good for the environment and the economy, as well as the fuel crisis.  Helping people convert cars to be able to use ethanol if possible could also be another way to approach the situation.

These are but a few small ideas from a few individuals among the millions who are hurting from the fuel crisis and the economic crisis we are all currently dealing with.  Maybe they would be workable ideas.  Maybe not.  But working together to save jobs, put money into the economy, find and use alternatives for fossil fuel and help the environment at the same time can’t be all bad.

Recently there have been reports about various projects working to turn otherwise unusable products into energy sources.  Many of the reports have involved one or two companies who are working on ways to do this overseas with promising results.

There is now a report out regarding a U.S. company that is using municipal solid waste to convert to fuel.  Sustainable Power Corporation, located in Baytown, Texas has announced that it tested Municipal Solid Waste in its reactors and the results have been excellent.  The company was able to produce biofuels by using this process, and achieved an added bonus.  They exceeded their projections as to what they would be able to accomplish by the process they are using.  The process also exceeded the results that the company had achieved when using other sources of fuel.

There were three trial studies performed, with a yield of over 19 pounds of biofuels produced for every 25 pounds of waste used.  This is an exceptional yield, leaving very little waste compared to other methods of fuel production.

There is a truly innovative and exciting benefit to what Sustainable Power Corporation has achieved.  The three-fold benefit is that in this one type of fuel production will help alleviate the petroleum shortage, create sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel and manage waste products by using them for fuel rather than adding to existing landfills or other waste depositories.  Another plus for the company and all involved is that instead of the company having to pay for fuel stocks, they can receive waste, possibly being paid to collect it, and drive the prices of fuel downward instead of upward, since waste should always be plentiful.

This is an exciting development in the race to find viable, affordable, environmentally friendly, renewable fuels to replace dependence on fossil fuels.  Because of its ability to help in all these areas, development of ways to turn waste into energy could truly be a big part of the long-term energy solution.

There are a host of solutions proposed for the fuel crisis depending upon who you are.  If you are congress, drilling is an issue on the table.  In fact, there is a lot of talk about Congress and offshore drilling, as well as the idea to drill in the Alaskan and Arctic wilderness.  There is a lot of reaction to that one, much of it quite negative.

Another solution that has been proposed is that of converting individual’ cars into hydrogen based and hydrogen run vehicles, thus eliminating the need for and dependence upon fossil fuels, and eliminating pollution, helping the environment and helping the ecosystems.  The barrier at this point is that the conversion of cars can be costly, and may not save as much money in gas – at least for the first few years – as the conversion costs.

This is much the same as electric or solar powered cars.  People talk about this regularly and would be willing to five it a try if there was not an extremely high initial cost.  There are various estimates as to what the actual cost would be to do the conversions, however, most of them differ.  Many of them run in the thousands of dollars, averaging at around $3,000. 

These are all good ideas and can be workable over time, however, in an economy that is already strained, it would be hard for most people to make the changes to their vehicles (or buy vehicles) that would eliminate the need for fossil fuels.  There have been ideas promoted that involve incentives for consumers that would make that step and create the conversion in their cars.

Whatever lawmakers and citizens decide upon, it is evident that fuel is in short supply, it is expensive and changes will need to be made.  Hopefully there will be some reasonable ways to enlist the solutions to this problem soon.

In the UK this week, there was a successful testing of a Ford Focus that was converted to run on hydrogen instead of traditional fuel.  There is now a refueling station for hydrogen cars in the UK, and using hydrogen is an idea whose time has come for many reasons, two of which are that this eliminates traditional fuel costs while eliminating CO2 emissions.

The company who created the hydrogen conversion has also created a home hydrogen refueling station which can create hydrogen from electricity and water.  This successful conversion is a landmark invention.  Success in this area will not only save fuel and eliminate emissions, but its uses can also be expanded to be used in various ways for homes and businesses.

Scientists worldwide have been trying to find ways to create an alternative source of converting hydrogen to fuel.   Before the success of this invention, it was very expensive to convert hydrogen, partially because platinum had to be used as part of the process.  The new process to manufacture hydrogen – a process that was successfully developed by ITM Power – uses a specialized polymer which ends up costing only 1%  of what the old process using platinum used to cost.  This fact, alone, will keep the cost of using the fuel lower and more affordable.

ITM Power used the Ford Focus because it is one of the most widely used cars in Europe.  The converted car has the capability to transfer back to traditional fuel as a backup if the supply of hydrogen runs out.  More tests are in process to see how the conversion can work on vans and trucks.

This successful invention and test gives hope for help in this most difficult fuel crisis.