Future transport fuels

Abstract

This study by the Energy Research Group at the Open University examines the demand for energy, particularly fuel for road transport, in the United Kingdom over the next 50 years. It concentrates on the year 2025, when oil supplies are assumed to be exhausted, and investigates the availability of alternative fuels for road transport against a chosen supply and demand scenario. The likely choice is shown to be between a synthetic liquid fuel from coal or the widespread use of battery cars. With the particular assumptions chosen by the authors, the battery car solution is seen as preferable on primary energy and cost grounds. However, there is considerable discussion of the many uncertainties which could not be included in the analyses but may well reverse this tentative conclusion. They include the need to develop an advanced battery, the development of an international market for the products of an electric vehicle industry and the need to postulate no source of cheap coal to make synthetic liquid fuel. 
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\nThe work was done under contract to the Transport and Road Research Laboratory by the Energy Research Group at the Open University. The study was an initial appraisal which took three months to prepare. The authors are all members of the Energy Research Group.