Somebody Invented a Car that Runs on Coffee

Is it time to start rooting around the compost pile for discarded coffee grounds? This waste substance is proving to be remarkably versatile, first as an odor-remover for sewers and now as a fuel for a souped-up British vehicle that recently set a record for fastest coffee-powered car.

The Coffee Car Mark 1 percolated into existence a couple years ago when a team of engineers hacked an old Volkswagen Scirocco to run on gasification, a century-old technology that converts carbon-containing substances into energy. The back of the auto is modified with what at first glance looks to be a moonshine 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 routed through a cooling system and a filter that removes tar. The explosive gas eventually winds up powering pistons to move the car forward a significant distance – in 2010, the Coffee Car performed a history-making journey from London to Manchester.