The YeZ Aims to Reduce Carbon Emissions Naturally by 2030

Over the years, several companies have developed plans to create an automobile that would operate with zero carbon emissions. Several of those plans have succeeded in some manner providing us with many choices on what kind of electric or biofuel powered cars we want to drive. In China, however, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has decided to move one step beyond zero carbon emissions and design a car that could be run entirely on renewable energy, run with zero carbon emissions, and give back to the environment.

Unveiled during the April Beijing Auto Show, the new car design, called the YeZ, aims to reduce carbon emissions by being run entirely by solar and wind power. The YeZ's unique roof design resembles an oversized leaf covered in solar panels, a design chosen by the developers to mimic nature's ability to gain power through sunlight. The solar panels would be designed to track the sun's position ensuring maximum coverage for the conversion of solar power into electricity that would be used to power the lithium battery engine. The vehicle's wheels also have miniature wind turbines built into them allowing for the movement of the car to catch the air and generate more electricity to supplement the solar power.

While the details are ambiguous at best and the actual application in question, the designers say that the YeZ will be able to directly affect carbon emissions thanks to the 'metal-organic' framework that the car will be designed around. The idea is that the car will be able to draw in water and carbon dioxide from the air surrounding it and convert it into energy to power the car. At the same time, however, the car will also be releasing oxygen as a part of this conversion process and positively affecting the air quality around it as it drives.

Since the design for the YeZ is so ambitious, it is no surprise that the SAIC has set a release date of 2030 for the new zero carbon emissions car. Until the vehicle can be built and tested there is no way to tell whether or not the YeZ will be a viable design. However, should the tests eventually prove successful the YeZ could be one of the most interesting electric vehicles ever developed.

As we wait for a working YeZ to be released, the SAIC does have more immediate plans for developing hybrid and electric cars. The Roewe E1, unveiled at the same Beijing auto show, has a targeted release of 2012 on the Chinese market. The Roewe E1 has been designed as an entirely electric powered car with zero carbon emissions. It has a top speed of 75 mph and the developers claim it can be recharged to 80% battery power within only thirty minutes.

With both the YeZ and the current Roewe electric car designs, the SAIC has a definite plan to create cars with no carbon emissions for many years to come. Paired with China's already ambitious plans to begin converting to renewable energy sources it could only be a few years before the nation is able to make a significant dent in the already high carbon emissions the Chinese government has been planning to reduce for the last several years.

Photo Credit: solarworld4u