Automotive

Breakthrough promises $1.50 per gallon synthetic gasoline with no carbon emissions

Breakthrough promises $1.50 per gallon synthetic gasoline with no carbon emissions
Cella Energy CEO Stephen Voller exhibits his breakthrough technology - right shows the fuel's hydrogen microbeads under a microscope
Cella Energy CEO Stephen Voller exhibits his breakthrough technology - right shows the fuel's hydrogen microbeads under a microscope
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Cella Energy CEO Stephen Voller exhibits his breakthrough technology - right shows the fuel's hydrogen microbeads under a microscope
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Cella Energy CEO Stephen Voller exhibits his breakthrough technology - right shows the fuel's hydrogen microbeads under a microscope

UK-based Cella Energy has developed a synthetic fuel that could lead to US$1.50 per gallon gasoline. Apart from promising a future transportation fuel with a stable price regardless of oil prices, the fuel is hydrogen based and produces no carbon emissions when burned. The technology is based on complex hydrides, and has been developed over a four year top secret program at the prestigious Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford. Early indications are that the fuel can be used in existing internal combustion engined vehicles without engine modification.

According to Stephen Voller CEO at Cella Energy, the technology was developed using advanced materials science, taking high energy materials and encapsulating them using a nanostructuring technique called coaxial electrospraying.

“We have developed new micro-beads that can be used in an existing gasoline or petrol vehicle to replace oil-based fuels,” said Voller. “Early indications are that the micro-beads can be used in existing vehicles without engine modification.”

“The materials are hydrogen-based, and so when used produce no carbon emissions at the point of use, in a similar way to electric vehicles”, said Voller.

The technology has been developed over a four-year top secret programme at the prestigious Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford, UK.

The development team is led by Professor Stephen Bennington in collaboration with scientists from University College London and Oxford University.

Professor Bennington, Chief Scientific Officer at Cella Energy said, “our technology is based on materials called complex hydrides that contain hydrogen. When encapsulated using our unique patented process, they are safer to handle than regular gasoline.”

93 comments
93 comments
Facebook User
I hope this is real. This would be the best option, above all other options, out there.
Gasoline is dirty and we shouldn\'t depend on the Middle East. Ethanol is a bad choice as it devours farms because the process is more than 10:1. Electric Vehicles are good on paper but the energy consumption, over time, is far too high. Hydrogen is a good option but most of us will never see that happen...
Until Water Powered Vehicles are available, I find this to be the best, cheapest option out there... providing the energy required to manufacture the stuff isn\'t out of control.
Then again, if they\'re willing to charge $1.50 per gallon, their overhead must not be very high.
Sean Ellwood
Just think of what wonderful things would happen to the middle east if all their funding was suddenly and completely CUT OFF.
Alien
This sounds really good!
Presumably this cost will translate to around $4 a gallon after the UK and European governments apply their taxes. In the UK fuel (petrol) taxes currently add roughly a further 167% on top of the basic cost (i.e. the motorist pays 2.67 times the basic fuel price).
On the other hand, even at $4 per gallon, that\'s only $0.89cents a litre (roughly £0.56p in UK terms) and less than half the current price.
So how soon can we start buying it please?
Daryl Sonnier
If this is real, it is a serious game changer for world economies, politics, etc.
Charles Hart
So where does one get the hydrogen? For $1 gal equivalent no less. Pure hype.
Jonathan Hatfield
Wow. If real this is a huge breakthrough. A real game changer!
Blixdevil
um, the energy consumption for electrics is too high? They are the most energy-efficient vehicles available, by a factor of 2. Maybe you mean that they pull too much demand from the grid. I\'ll go with that.
DmanEfest
Is it April 1st already?
Ronny Katzenberger
Far out. Hope so too!
Anumakonda Jagadeesh
Congratulations. Major breakthrough in fuel source.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
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