Tired of stopping at fuel stations? Now imagine purchasing a car that is already fuelled for its entire life. It may be a pipedream for electric and fossil-fuelled cars, but not quite for nuclear-powered ones.
The reason is that the energy content of a nuclear fuel such as uranium-235 dwarfs those of fossil fuels (see By the numbers). Theoretically, less than 10 grams of uranium-235 should be enough to last the life of the vehicle. Yes, there is the “slight” problem that an onboard nuclear reactor is needed, as well as the risk of radiation, especially in the event of an accident…
However, even considering these risks engineer Loren Kulesus designed the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Concept Car in 2009 (with the unfortunate acronym of WTF Concept). The thinking behind the use of thorium over uranium is that it is a safer material with less radiation risk and with higher specific-energy content. Laser Power Systems (LPS) from Connecticut in the US has taken up the mantle and has been experimenting with small bits of thorium in its creation of a laser that heats water, produces steam and powers a mini turbine. According to LPS, the unit weighs less than 230 kg and should fit into a vehicle.
We’re, however, sceptical of the idea and do not expect it to reach the showroom in the next few decades.