Revolutionary New Fuel Means Cars Could Be Powered by Sunshine

Cars soon could be powered by fuels produced using only sunshine. A revolutionary new clean fuel that is made from the energy of the sun has been developed by scientists at the University of Cambridge in England.

To develop the fuel the researchers used the power of photosynthesis—the process by which plants use sunlight to create foods from carbon dioxide and water.

The big difference between these fuels and fossil fuels is that the new fuels produce net zero carbon emissions. They also are entirely renewable and do not cause any agricultural land to be taken away from the production of food. In addition, the fuels, such as ethanol and propanol, are high in energy and can easily be transported and stored.

Significant Step Away From Fossil Fuels

Although the technology is still at the stage of being developed only in a laboratory, the researchers say that the “artificial leaves” used in producing the fuel are a significant step in transitioning away from an economy that is based on fossil fuels.