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The Coffee Car Perks Up in Popularity

Do you love coffee? Can you not get around Henderson without first grabbing a much needed caffeine-rush? Well, you’d be interested to know that a team of engineers in Britain have developed a car that runs on–that’s right—coffee. The Coffee Car Mark 1 (its first model) percolated into existence a couple years ago when a team of engineers jerry rigged an old Volkswagen Scirocco to run on gasification, a century-old technology that converts carbon-containing substances into energy.

At Frank's Auto Body Inc., we’re always looking at the newest automotive technology, because it changes literally every day. So, that’s why we often post articles about new, cutting-edge vehicles and the alternative fuels that are in development.

How It Works

The back of the Coffee Car is modified with what looks like an old bootleggers’ still, complete with a charcoal stove stocked with pellets made from used coffee grounds. The heat from the stove causes the acrid material to break down and release hydrogen, which is then directed through a cooling system and a filter that removes tar.

The explosive gas eventually winds up powering pistons to move the car forward. Upon its inception, the Coffee Car performed a history-making journey from London to Manchester in the UK, which gained worldwide acclaim and caught the attention of Starbucks, for example.

The previous gasification-powered speed record — held by a group of Americans called “Beaver Energy” — was a mere 47 mph, fueled by wood pellets. The Coffee Car averaged no less than 66.5 mph and was granted a Guinness World Record in return.

But what is gasification? Excellent question. By introducing a controlled amount of oxygen (or steam) to the coffee beans (or any organic, carbon-based material), and by increasing the temperature of the fuel to temperatures above 700C (1292F), a fuel called syngas (synthetic gas) is produced. Syngas consists of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane, and can be burned using a normal internal combustion engine — or used in fuel cells.

The Coffee Car Mark 2

Having proven coffee's worth as a fuel for long road trips, the engineers next attempted to prove it could reach speeds similar to those of gasoline-powered vehicles. So, they designed the Coffee Car Mark 2 from the chassis of a Ford pick-up, and adorned with coffee-bean decals throughout. When it's warming up, the Mark 2 smokes like a chimney leaving a fluffy cloud of exhaust that probably smells nothing like fresh-brewed coffee. But it has done what its inventors asked of it, setting a new speed record last week of 65 mph at an airfield near Manchester.

The Coffee Car Mark 2 can reportedly travel about 55 miles on the power of a 22-pound sack of grounds, which means it will cost about .70 cents per mile traveled. So, it’s not going to attract drivers who want to save money at the pump (or in this case at the pot).

At this point, the Coffee Car is simply a unique concept vehicle and there is really no market for it. But, that does not mean it has been a complete failure. As an attempt to show that renewable, green energy can be used to power cars, it is surely impressive.

So, the next time you’re driving around Henderson NV, sipping a cup of your favorite coffee brew, think about the Coffee Car, because if we ever run out of oil on the planet, maybe coffee will not just wake us up in the morning, but power our cars as well.

Sources: Drive, Car Review and Wikipedia