Future of Transportation- A Comparison between Internal Combustion Engine, Electric Vehicles and Fuel Cell Vehicles

Abstract

Today, the transportation sector is mainly dependent on internal combustion engines. The total number of vehicles running on the road has reached 1.2 billion. The transportation sector is responsible for a 23% share of greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, researchers and governments are debating the future of the transportation sector. The main factors driving the discussion and development of alternatives for internal combustion engines are air pollution caused by transportation, energy security concerns, rising hydrocarbon fuel prices, climate change issues, the desire to develop economic infrastructure in rural areas by promoting biofuels and bio-waste management, and the desire to lead the world in new technology development. Currently, four types of configurations are in use: internal combustion engines, battery electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and hybrid vehicles. The major advantages, disadvantages, problems, future, cost, emissions produced, environmental impact, fuel and material availability, efficiency, etc., of all these available options for transportation are presented in this paper. The results of this study show that there are a number of alternatives emerging for transportation, but internal combustion engines will still remain as the primary source for transportation for the coming decades.