Slime-powered car embarks on US tour

A company that produces fuel from algae is touring an algae-powered Prius around the US over the next 10 days to prove the validity of its concept. Sapphire Energy, which was formed in May 2007, is touring the vehicle, known as the Algeus, starting in Sacramento, California.

The car is a Prius with an extra battery, and with a plug, enabling it to be used in fully electric mode.

Regular Priuses are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, but this model can be used in purely electric mode in urban environments. Using the algae-based fuel, the car can achieve a 150mpg consumption rate.

Sapphire Energy grows its algae products in saltwater ponds at its New Mexico factory, using a combination of carbon dioxide captured from other industry processes, and sunlight. The algae-based chemical can be refined into gasoline or jet fuel.

The company is presenting this technology as an alternative to ethanol, which requires arable land to be used in its production. Unlike ethanol, the algae-based product is designed to entirely replace traditional fossil fuels, rather than being simply an additive.

The gasoline produced using the algae process does not need any adjustments to be made to existing vehicles, the company points out.