There have been a few companies which have been working on new applications of steam power for our automobiles, some of which are well known, such as BMW, and others just now coming out of the woodwork. One such company is Clean Power Technologies based in the U.K. One common thread from these new systems is that they all rely on waste heat from our tried-and-true internal combustion engines. CPT's technology uses the exhaust heat to generate its steam, and it has many uses from there. In early tests, the company powered half of a Mazda rotary engine with steam and the company is still investigating the possibility of a gas/steam hybrid, hoping to have something ready for production by 2011. Another possibility involves powering auxiliary systems such as air conditioning or refrigeration units with the steam power. CPT is working with Safeway stores in the U.S. to start testing this system shortly.

[Source: Channel 4]

Despite the untimely death of project manager Frank Swanston from lung cancer, the British Steam Car Challenge is still on for a record attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats in August of this year. Before assaulting the World Record, the British team will first tackle the standing record in their home country. Set on July 3, 1938, the British record stands at 126 miles per hour. That's just under the official World Record, which was set in 1906 by Fred Marriott, who drove a modified Stanley Steamer to 127.659 miles per hour.

With their extremely aerodynamic steamer, the British Steam Car Team shouldn't have too much trouble setting a new record later this year. In fact, the team is hoping to break the 200 mile per hour mark. After their historic run is completed, the vehicle is to be placed on permanent display at the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu.

Related:

• Update on the British Steam Car Challenge 200 mph record attempt
• 1906 steam powered car land speed record is in serious danger

In case you are not faimiliar with the term "steampunk", it's a part of the literary sci-fi punk genre. Need more explanation? Consult the all-knowing wiki here. Now that we're all on the same page, check out this electric-steam hybrid motorcycle, built by Tom Sepe. We think that it's pretty cool, although the steam part is a bit misleading. Sure, steam bellows forth from the rear of the bike, but that's for show only. We think it would be epic if the steam boiler powered a turbine which in turn powered the batteries. As it stands, though, this is still an electric motorbike, plus, it throws flames ... and that is cool enough for us. Follow past the break for a short video of the machine in action.

[Source: Steampunk Workshop via The New Cafe Racer Society]

Since it was first published last year Make Magazine has become one of the coolest magazines around. It's full of all kinds of cool projects for things you can make out of other stuff. It is a true hacker bible for the hackers of the best kind. On the Makezine blog über-Maker Phillip Torrone has a post about a form of alternative transport that I doubt will take off but is nonetheless interesting: steam powered bicycles.

Steam engines have one distinct advantage over typical internal combustion engines. They can run on practically anything that burns and gives off heat. If you can generate enough heat to boil water you're in business. Steam works great for large stationary power generation applications, or even mobile ones like trains. Unfortunately they also tend to be rather bulky and not so well adapted to smaller mobile environments. Burning other fuels to generate the steam can be very environmentally unfriendly. Can you imagine stopping every few blocks to shovel coal from a basket on the back of your bike to keep the engine going. Somehow, the thought having a steam generator sitting between my knees seems decidedly unappealing. I've experienced steam burns and the kind you could get from a steam bike would be particularly nasty. I think I'll just pedal thanks.

[Source: Makezine via BoingBoing]