Alternative-Fuel Cars

Although gasoline has been the fuel of choice for passenger vehicles for the past century, there are now numerous alternatives available. Some alternative-fuel vehicles run on both gasoline and electricity, while others run on diesel, ethanol or even hydrogen gas.

While alternative fuels may seem like new technology, many so-called alternatives to gasoline have been in use for decades and, in some cases, for more than a century. The diesel engine, for example, was invented by German engineer Rudolph Diesel in the late 1800s, and was originally designed to run on peanut oil, which farmers could easily produce. Years later, the oil was replaced with what became known as diesel fuel, a waste product created during the petroleum distillation process.

Today, a fuel called biodiesel, which is derived from vegetable oil, is used throughout Europe. While it has been used in the United States in fleet vehicles for decades, only recently has it become more widely available to the general public. Some drivers have even been known to purchase used vegetable oil from restaurants or run their diesel vehicles on straight vegetable oil.

Henry Ford was an early 20th century visionary of alternative fuels, and planned on having his early cars powered by ethanol. However, the first flex-fuel vehicles-those that run on either gasoline or ethanol or a mix of both-didn't appear on the market until the mid-1990s. In 2006, it was estimated that there were more than 6 million flexible-fuel vehicles on U.S. roads. These vehicles are capable of operating on a fuel called E85, which is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Ethanol is a common ingredient in most gasoline formulations as well, but is only used in quantities of 5 to 10 percent to reduce smog-forming emissions and greenhouse gases.

The increase in E85-capable vehicles has gone hand-in-hand with an increase in the availability of E85 fuel. In 2006, there were about 600 E85 fuel stations in the United States, with an estimated 2,000 additional stations scheduled to come online by the end of 2007. In contrast, in 2000 there were only about a dozen E85 stations. Although this is a small number compared to about 170,000 gas stations in the United States, it is a huge step forward in making this alternative fuel more widely available.

While the first modern-day hybrid was introduced in the United States in December 1999, it was not the first time a hybrid was seen in this country. The Woods Motor Vehicle Company of Chicago introduced its Dual Power model in 1916, which could operate on electric power only, on gasoline only, or on both simultaneously.

Hybrid vehicles have become increasingly popular, with more than 200,000 units sold annually in the United States in 2005 and 2006. Sales will most likely increase as the range of hybrid choices grows: some 44 hybrids are expected to be on sale by 2012, according to J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Forecasting.^SM

With the world's oil supply declining and the increasing effect of greenhouse gases on global warming, the push for alternative-fuel vehicles will only continue to grow. In addition to increased production of the types of vehicles discussed here, the next step in alternative-fuel vehicles is fuel cells. A fuel cell vehicle is essentially a hybrid vehicle that is powered by an electric motor, which gets its power from a fuel cell stack rather than an internal combustion engine. There are only a handful of fuel cell vehicles in use today because the technology is still being developed. In addition, there are relatively few fueling stations with hydrogen, the fuel used to power the fuel cell stack.

The U.S. Department of Energy, the agency that oversees a federally funded program to pursue fuel cell development, will decide by 2015 whether fuel cell technology is viable. Even if the decision is made to move forward, hybrid vehicles and gasoline-powered vehicles-as well as those powered by diesel and ethanol-will most likely remain in use for many years.-Tara Mello

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