Transportation Technologies for a Sustainable Future

Transportation accounts for about a quarter of our primary energy use and approximately 95% of this energy comes from fossil fuels. Any long-term plan to reduce, and eventually eliminate, fossil fuel use needs to include a transitioning of transportation energy to low-carbon sustainable sources. While road transportation accounts for about 85% of our current transportation energy use, other modes of transportation, such as rail, maritime and air transportation, must be considered for any overall analysis of transportation.

There are numerous sustainable technologies, such as battery electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and methanol internal combustion engine vehicles, being considered for transportation. A detailed analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of these technologies is necessary for an assessment of the viability of different approaches for different modes of transportation.

This book begins with an overview of current transportation energy requirements and the primary sources of this energy. This is followed by a detailed analysis of technologies appropriate for road transportation, such as biofuels. The application of sustainable technologies to rail, maritime and air transportation is discussed. Finally, a summary of the challenges involved in implementing sustainable transportation technologies and a quantitative analysis of how renewable energy production relates to the development of sustainable transportation are presented.