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What about a steam powered car?\u00a0 In recent times people\u2019s consciences and attention has turned to more environmentally friendly ways of commuting.\u00a0 So with electric, hydrogen, hybrid and bio-fuel vehicles all available on the current automotive market, why not give steam another go?<\/p>\n
Perhaps the biggest hurdle for a steam powered comeback is the grip that the oil companies have on automotive power.\u00a0 However the winds seem to be changing, with more-and-more people reflecting on how their lifestyle and decisions impact on the environment.\u00a0 Internal combustion engines produce a lot of pollution and tend to be rather noisy. \u00a0Without a doubt cleaner burning engines are resonating with buyers who have cash to spend.\u00a0 EVs and hybrids are expensive but there are people very happy to buy them.<\/p>\n
Difficulties that drove steam powered cars to become museum pieces were:<\/p>\n
These difficulties created the \u201cWarehouse and Kmart\u201d phenomenon of today, where people flock to where the cheap buys are regardless of the impact.\u00a0 But with today\u2019s modern materials, steam cars could be as light as their internal combustion engine alternatives.\u00a0 With a new advanced condenser and a fast heating boiler, the possibility of a modern-day steam car with decent efficiency and a warm-up time that\u2019s measured in seconds rather than minutes could provide the comeback punch that steam needs to become an attractive and viable option for new-car buyers.<\/p>\n
Just ponder on this for a moment \u2013 a new modern motorcar running on steam that has powerful seamless acceleration instantly, is clean burning, very quiet and, unlike combustion engines, can run on almost any fuel that produces heat.<\/p>\n
Steam engines don’t need any gears or transmissions. \u00a0They are much more in the same vein as EV cars that have all their torque available at any rpm.\u00a0 Due to the fact that steam provides constant pressure, unlike the piston strokes of an internal combustion engine, steam-powered cars require no clutch and no gearbox \u2013 making them extremely easy to drive.\u00a0 By virtue of their design, steam engines provide maximum torque and acceleration instantly like electric motors, and particularly for urban driving where there\u2019s lots of stopping and starting, clean-burning steam would be great!<\/p>\n
What developments in steam have occurred since it rudely got forgotten and laid aside?\u00a0 Some good news is that in 2009, a British team set a new steam-powered land speed record of 148 mph (237 km\/h), finally breaking the Stanley Rocket\u2019s record which had stood for more than 100 years. \u00a0In the 1990s, a Volkswagen Enginion (a model for research and development) boasted a steam engine that had comparable efficiency to internal combustion engines, but with lower emissions. \u00a0And, in recent years, Cyclone Technologies claims it has developed a steam engine that\u2019s twice as efficient.<\/p>\n
It might have preceded the internal combustion engine by around 200 years, but as the world is finally starting to take a serious look at the future viability of personal transport, perhaps the wonder of gliding by steam power will once again be seen on our modern roads. \u00a0In an age of touchscreen infotainment systems, EV cars that can do 400 km on a charge and driverless cars, surely there is room for new, clean-and-efficient steam cars.<\/p>\n
Currently the increased focus on environmental responsibility could be weakening the link between the oil industry and modern motorcars.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t you just love to be able to fill your car up with rainwater and head off on your work commute!<\/p>\n