Primary Alternative Fuel Sources

Primary Alternative Fuel Sources Available

An alternative fuel is a substance that can be used as a vehicle fuel other than traditional fuel sources such as oil, coal, natural gas and propane. Each fuel has a unique combination of benefits such as availability, vehicle compatibility, energy efficiency, cost and emission reduction.

Ethanol

Ethanol is produced from corn which has been fermented and distilled. Companies that buy corn for alternative fuel use have started establishing Ethanol plants in corn-producing areas within the Midwest.

Ethanol:

• Has a high octane rating which results in increased engine efficiency.
• Has a lower energy content than gasoline. This means that it takes more ethanol to go a certain distance than it would take with gasoline.
• Can be used by gasoline vehicles in the U.S. in concentrations up to 10%.
• Can be used in specialized cars and trucks known as Flexible Fuel Vehicles in concentrations up to 85%.
• Is used as an additive to gasoline in many states, in concentrations of up to 10%.
• Is offered in the midwestern states as E85 fuel which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
• Is widely used as an alternative fuel for farming.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is produced from soybeans or used restaurant grease.

Biodiesel:

• Does not contain any petroleum, but it can be blended with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend.
• Can be used in a diesel engine with a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum without any modification to the engine.
• Produces less unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide than diesel when used in a diesel engine.

Propane

Propane is a byproduct in the production of gas and the refining of crude oil. Propane has been used as an alternative fuel since 1912 and is the third most common fuel in the U.S. after gasoline and diesel.

Propane:

• Is only about 85% as energy-effective as gasoline. This means that a vehicle will only go 85% as far as it would on an equal amount of gasoline.
• Is price-competitive with gasoline.

U.S. auto makers have reduced the number of vehicles designed to operate on propane. This has caused an increase in the number of suppliers offering engine conversion kits which allow a vehicle's engine to be adapted to run on propane fuels.

Compressed Natural Gas

Natural gas comes from gas wells.

Natural gas:

• Requires refining before it can be used as a fuel for cars or homes.
• Can be produced at a relatively low cost.

Personal automobiles and commercial vehicles such as taxi cabs, buses, street sweepers and delivery vans that use natural gas have been introduced throughout the U.S. These vehicles have an 80% reduction in ozone-forming emissions.

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oils such as sunflower oil and palm oil are used to produce biodiesels.

Vegetable oils:

• Can be used in conventional diesel engines if used in biodiesels.
• Can be used in their natural form as a fuel if the vehicle has a vegetable oil fuel converter.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Most hydrogen is made from natural gas, but it can also be produced from water. A fuel cell uses a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. A "stack" of these fuel cells is required in a fuel cell vehicle.

Fuel cell vehicles:

• Are about 25% more fuel-efficient than a traditional gasoline engine.
• Produce nearly zero ozone-forming emissions.

Electric Vehicles and Hybrids

An electric vehicle uses a battery to store the electricity that powers the vehicle. The batteries are charged by being attached to a power source, either on the vehicle or into an external charger.

Electric vehicles:

• Can travel from 50 to 130 miles between charges.
• Have been in use in the U.S. since 1997.
• Have been designed as both personal and commercial electric vehicles such as busses.
• Were offered by Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda in 1999. Within two years, many of these companies had introduced a hybrid vehicle which was fueled by both electricity and gasoline.

Future of Alternative Fuel Use

The wide-scale acceptance of these primary alternative fuel sources depends upon the cost and availability of new vehicles to burn these fuels and the acceptance of these new fuels by consumers. Tax incentives, lower usage cost per mile and wide-scale availability will all help consumer acceptance. The Federal government and several states, such as California and Pennsylvania, continue to enact legislation which provides corporate and consumer tax incentives to encourage the production and use of alternative fuels.