🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello Tom,
   The question of why go electric when LPG cars are much eaiser and cheaper to
convert or build basically boils down to one point when talking about
California:
   A recent state law, of course, requires a certain percentage of cars sold in
CA in the near future to be be ZERO emission vehicles. LPG-burning vehicles ARE
much cleaner (and therefore require less maitenance), are easier to
build/convert, have greater range and sometimes performance, significantly more
efficient, and are MUCH more convenient to refuel (a big plus for less
environmentally-concious fossil fuel addicts). BUT, they do emit some
hydrocarbons and relatively small amounts of smog-producing NOX (nitrogen
oxides), SOX (sulphur oxides), and 03 (ozone: good in stratosphere, but it's
part of "smog" down here).
   Gotta go -- work awaits -- but a few more brief notes:
* Ethylene: Cleaner (than gasoline but not as clean as LPG) is a grain-derived
form of alchohol that is already added to gasoline (10%+) is some states (esp.
in the corn belt/midwest). 
   Contrast with Methylene: a dirtier, poisonous, fossil-fuel based (and
American Petroleum Institute-pushed) form of alchohol currently used in some
drag racing cars and CART (Indy 500) cars.

* SOLAR-PRODUCED HYDROGEN: Most exciting and promising future energy source.
Produced by Photovoltaic (PV) panels splitting water into its component parts;
two Hydrogen atoms and one Oxygen.
   When burned together in an internal combustion engine (typical car's 4-stroke
or, even more effective, in a Wankel/rotary engine(Mazda's RX-7, etc.)) they
produce energy, WATER, and trace amounts of SOX and NOX.
   Already, hydrogen has been proven to be very clean and usable in conventional
car engines(esp. Mercedes-Benz, and more recently Mazda).
   These experimental cars have good range (at least 200 miles), are safe, very
clean, and perform quite well. MAZDA plans to begin selling (in Japan) Rotary
engine, hydrogen-burning RX-7's and Miata's by 1997. Apparently, the Wankel
engine design does not backfire with Hydrogen as do many 4-stroke engines.
   The reason I mention SOLAR PRODUCED Hydrogen is because it takes just as much
energy (if not more) to produce a quantity of Hydrogen as that Hydrogen will
eventually produce. As PV panels (AND wind-energy) become even more viable than
they are now, Hydrogen -- which can eventually supplant centrally-produced,
widely-distributed/stored gasoline -- will soon become a major transportaion
energy source.

Well ... definately time to go now!          Hasta ... Shaun Walker.

P.S.  The American Hydrogen Institute has a computerized BBS, newsletter, and
books -- write back for info. Bye.