I think the CeO2/copper solid oxide fuel cell/turbine generator is going to be the world beater. Multi-fuels from biogas to biodiesel to gasoline to coal to powdered cellulose can power it.
It doesn't foul like other previous fuel cell designs.
It is lightweight, made of ceramic, it can be made to fit anything from a chainsaw to a 747. And get 75% efficiency versus 14% for internal combustion engines.
20% of the fuel for the same mileage/energy output!
A plugin vehicle with even 40 miles worth of quick charge batteries (affordable in terms of weight and cost even now)with one of these as a backup generator would average 10% or less fuel use than a conventional vehicle of the same size and utility.
And this fuel cell/turbine as a grid power backup will run on any fuel. The CO2 from this system used to augment algae/solar biofuel systems will be recycled over and over, effectively sequestering it and reducing total emissions to less than 5% or less of current fossil fueled grid and transportation energy modes.
Then a modest increase in extra conservation reserve land, freed up by a shift in environmental policy (dumping fuel farming to produce ethanol and biodiesel), would be enough to actually reverse anthropomorphic global climate change.
Where, you are asking, does the electricity to recharge plugin vehicles to replace all the oil burned in conventional cars come from? From distributed renewable energy generation and storage.
Solar cogeneration systems on roofs, over parking lots, and highways. Small to medium all the way up to huge wind machines and floating wave/wind power platforms offshore (10 miles, out of NIMBY range). And superconducting energy storage systems to store electric power in regional and local grids.
And distributed storage with 100s of millions of battery powered vehicles and solar/wind power equipped, battery backed up homes and businesses plugged into the grid.
How to pay for it? Cut the tax breaks and other corporate welfare for energy corporations. Make them pay the same tax rate the rest of US pay.
Use half the savings to provide direct tax credits for consumers who buy solar, wind, electric plugin vehicles, and geothermal heat pumps. Pay down the debt built up by these oil wars with the other half of corporate welfare cuts.
