Fuel For Tomorrows Cars - Do We Have To Leave The Hydrocarbons?

The goal of all energy supply schemes for vehicles is to provide mechanical energy. Practical and economical reasons have made internal combustion engines the most sensible choice for many decades. Now the concern about adverse effects of the liberation of fossil carbon into earth's atmosphere gives the critics of IC-engines a new argument for their demand to switch to alternative fuels. It is shown, that all alternatives suffer from drawbacks. Hydrocarbons should be retained as the prominent energy carrier. In order to solve the CO₂-problem, the carbon in these fuels should be of non-fossil origin. This requires the synthesis of hydrocarbons. It is possible to move gradually from a fossil supply base to a non-fossil one without taking the risk of any abrupt change.