As regular readers know, I'm a car guy. Always have been. Always will be. In fact, I plan on taking my Impala to an old car show tonight. Can't wait!
Part of being a car guy is learning about cars. And, I've learned that the internal combustion engine wasn't always the only choice for power. Back in the early days (until the 1920's), both steam (Stanley Steamer and others) and electric (primarily the Detriot Electric) were options. But there have always been some alternative fuel vehicles. The Checker Motor Co. (makers of cabs from the 20's until the 80's) experimented with a propane car in the 70's. There were others. But, eventually the internal combustion engine always had more going for it than the others. The main advantages were that you didn't have to wait for the car to be ready (like steam) and you could drive anywhere that gasoline was sold (unlike the electric which had a limited range).
Just today I was fascinated to read a blog entry from someone who's been driving a CNG Honda. CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas. He claims to be paying the equivalent of $2.42 per gallon of gasoline or $15 a fillup! Thought that you might find it interesting reading. You can check it out here .
I'm not sure what the future of personal transportation will be. Tonight I'll be driving a 327 Chevy putting out about 300 hp on high test. I won't spin the tires even though I could. But, I wouldn't be surprised to find that someday people will look at my '65 and wonder why people used internal combustion engines as long as they did.
Right now CNG is only practical if you live in certain places and can find a fillup when you need one. But, if that's the case you might find that it's a great way to avoid problems caused by rising gasoline prices!
