Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
are still to be announced but early in 2014 Toyota announced its FCV model, similar
to a Camry, is likely to sell for $ 50,000, which is close to double the cost of a simi-
lar sized sedan. Unlike the range limits on electric battery cars these vehicles will
have a range close to 500 km but will of course need refuelling stations. Although
California is spending $ 200 million to create a network of 100 hydrogen stations by
2024, few other areas are adopting such policies. So despite this technological prog-
ress these alternatives to the internal combustion engine still have many limitations,
from price, to refuelling issues, and it will take some decades before these techno-
logical advances in powering vehicles provide major changes in vehicle numbers
and hence pollution reductions.
Although these are the main programmes being used, there are many experimen-
tal policies being pursued. For example, tests on the island of Bornholm in 2011,
which has the wind capacity to supply 2/5ths of its power needs, tried to solve the
problem of storing wind energy and recharging batteries for electric cars. Essen-
tially the project uses the possibility of cheaper pricing of electricity at night from
the stronger winds at that time by re-charging the batteries of a fleet of electric cars
at night from home stations, which explains the long title of the project: Electric
Vehicles in a Distributed and Integrated Market using Sustainable Energy and Open
Networks—EDISON for short, after the famous pioneer of electricity. The approach
also means the power in the batteries could be fed back into the system by day to the
profit of the owner if the car is not used. Of course, this approach demands the use
of a new type of grid, one that can send power both ways. In Israel experiments have
been carried out in simply replacing batteries once they are almost run down, which
means having lighter batteries that can be quickly replaced and enough recharging
and replacement stations. So far these ideas are still in the experimental stage.
5.7.4
Efficiency Improvements to Reduce Emissions
Another trend in reducing the negative effect of vehicle engines comes from in-
creasing the input-output efficiencies of the internal combustion engines, both in
terms of reducing the fuel consumption and reducing emissions. In the first case
there have been major increases in the average kilometre/litre fuel consumption
figures, which along with the development of many different types of smaller cars
seemed likely to reduce the demand for fuel. In the latter context the growth of the
compact two-seater Smart Cars is a new trend, but again, despite the increase of
their numbers and the adoption of car-sharing schemes using the cars, this is only
producing a marginal effect. Indeed, since the growth in the numbers of cars has
increased, and in western countries there has been a trend towards the purchase of
large SUVs, so many of these gains have been eradicated. More progress has been
made in the last two decades by the reduction of exhaust gases and other particulate
matter, especially through greater fuel purity and the addition of catalytic converters
in exhaust systems and the banning of lead in the fuel, which has reduced its del-
eterious health effects. Although these changes have been made through technical
