The Most Energy-Efficient Form of Locomotion

Natural Movements

Evolution has led many animals -- including humans -- to evolve with adaptive locomotive traits. Movement is advantageous as it helps creatures evade predators and migrate. Evolution bred energy-efficient locomotion within each species. Humans have a particularly interesting type of locomotion, as they're designed for slow, long-distance running. The Achilles heel and calf on the back of the leg act as rubber-bands, redistributing energy efficiently to the next step. Fish have extremely efficient locomotive processes as they are less subjected to gravity and have bodies streamlined to move through the water.

For human transportation, nothing can be more energy efficient in terms of external energy than something that only uses the energy of the driver. The bicycle and various versions of it can't be beat in this regard. Riding a bicycle consumes only 35 calories per passenger mile, according to the website WorldWatch. This is mostly because a bicycle carries a person's momentum and therefore travels a greater distance per amount of effort exerted. This research also shows that riding a bicycle conserves 65 calories more than walking to the same destination.

When the automobile first rolled out over 100 years ago, many thought steam power would be more ideal for energy efficiency. However, it just isn't practical for everyday use. Today, extremely energy-efficient solutions have been created in the automobile industry. Cars, such as the Tesla Roadster, which also features a top-end acceleration rate, provide very little carbon dioxide output by using electricity. Most brands have their own varieties of electrically powered cars; the Nissan Leaf is a mass-marketed car operating on zero CO2 emissions.

Today hybrid cars -- combining electric and fuel power -- have become much more prevalent. As purely electric cars become more efficient and practical, their influence is likely to spread. Hypothetical alternative energy technologies exist today, each of which could prove extremely energy efficient. This includes hydrogen, an infinite and clean resource that would only produce water waste. Another technology still considered in its infancy even though it's been around for nearly half a century, is solar power. Although not efficient enough to be applied to today's vehicles, if humans tap into photovoltaics (converting sunlight directly into electricity; solar power converts sun into energy), these vehicles will operate off of light, serving as a near-perfectly efficient car.