Car giants BMW and GM are currently developing methods of recapturing wasted heat from exhaust fumes and converting the energy into usable electricity which would then
reduce the vehicle's fuel consumption.
Using thermoelectricity, the energy is harnessed by the difference in temperature between the hot exhaust fumes and the cooler area surrounding them. For me to explain that any better, I'd have to go back to school for a very long time - but who cares how they do it? The exciting question for car leasing customers everywhere is can they do it?
The companies predict that the technology could reduce fuel consumption in a Chevrolet Suburban by about 5 per cent - adding about one mile per gallon. That might not sound too amazing, but with fuel costs continuing to soar, that margin can only become more significant to the bank balance...
