coal cars

The NY Times on an old GM research project on coal fired turbines..  

Turbines have improved a lot since then, but are most efficient when operating at a constant speed.  Given the right fuel (perhaps a second generation biofuel) and used as the engine in a range extended electric car, they might make sense.  Maybe something in the 50 to 100 kW range.

David Gordon Wilson's company is working on very efficient single speed turbines (he is a serious gas turbine expert from MIT).  His are a bit too big, but Compower may be better sized.  

I'm better that highly optimized single speed diesel or gasoline engines may rule, but there is a chance we'll see turbines or even free piston generators or stirling engines.