With the cost of a gallon of gasoline scraping the four dollar mark, research is underway to come up with different options to fuel our engines. Three of these include: Biodiesel, Electricity, and Ethanol.
Biodiesel is a product derived from certain types of vegetable oil and animal fats. It can be used in a pure form or blended with other products. The beauty of biodiesel is that it is non toxic, biodegradable and it burns clean. It's also not as combustible and it is relatively easy to produce even at home, though home production is not recommended. Unfortunately, it could potentially blow up a diesel engine unless very precise guidelines aren't followed. Its safety in handling, storing and transporting makes it an interesting alternative when we consider security and health issues. Even if so far the US biodiesel industry hasn't grown much, it has great potential for the future and it is steadily increasing in size.
Electricity is used to fuel both pure electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars. Electric vehicles (EVs) have an electric motor and use electricity which is stored in batteries. They are somewhat limited when it comes to capacity and storage. Some of the vehicles have chargers on board, while others require a plug-in. Electric cars are small and very quiet, and they don't have any tail pipe emissions. They are mostly used for light commuting, and they rarely reach speeds any higher than 35 mph. The life of the batteries is, on average, about four years or 20,000 miles. A completely electric model has yet to be produced by any of the major manufacturers, on the basis that demand is not strong. Demand is, however, on the rise for independent manufacturers who focus their efforts on meeting the needs of a niche market.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel extracted from several plants also known as biomass. While the US prefer to produce ethanol from corn, other countries such as Brazil use sugar cane. Ethanol contains a compound also found in alcohol. Research is still ongoing in regard to Cellulosic Ethanol Feedstock. This fuel is produced from yard and forestry waste, such as wood chips, saw dust, leaves and wheat straw, and household plant derived waste such as paper products. Different types of grass are grown with this purpose in mind. A few of the perks would be: Domestic production, low greenhouse emissions, and growth of employment opportunities.
Pure ethanol contains 34% less energy, and has lower gas mileage than gasoline, when compared by the gallon. While it can only be used in flex fuel vehicles, it's cost is usually kept low to compete with gasoline. The U.S. Department of Energy encourages use of these fuels because they are environmentally safe and don't seem to be as damaging to public health, or a threat to energy security. It is estimated that ethanol and biofuels will likely reduce over 30% of gas demand in the United States alone by the year 2030. And usually, prices go down when demand drops.
Biodiesel is a product derived from certain types of vegetable oil and animal fats. It can be used in a pure form or blended with other products. The beauty of biodiesel is that it is non toxic, biodegradable and it burns clean. It's also not as combustible and it is relatively easy to produce even at home, though home production is not recommended. Unfortunately, it could potentially blow up a diesel engine unless very precise guidelines aren't followed. Its safety in handling, storing and transporting makes it an interesting alternative when we consider security and health issues. Even if so far the US biodiesel industry hasn't grown much, it has great potential for the future and it is steadily increasing in size.
Electricity is used to fuel both pure electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars. Electric vehicles (EVs) have an electric motor and use electricity which is stored in batteries. They are somewhat limited when it comes to capacity and storage. Some of the vehicles have chargers on board, while others require a plug-in. Electric cars are small and very quiet, and they don't have any tail pipe emissions. They are mostly used for light commuting, and they rarely reach speeds any higher than 35 mph. The life of the batteries is, on average, about four years or 20,000 miles. A completely electric model has yet to be produced by any of the major manufacturers, on the basis that demand is not strong. Demand is, however, on the rise for independent manufacturers who focus their efforts on meeting the needs of a niche market.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel extracted from several plants also known as biomass. While the US prefer to produce ethanol from corn, other countries such as Brazil use sugar cane. Ethanol contains a compound also found in alcohol. Research is still ongoing in regard to Cellulosic Ethanol Feedstock. This fuel is produced from yard and forestry waste, such as wood chips, saw dust, leaves and wheat straw, and household plant derived waste such as paper products. Different types of grass are grown with this purpose in mind. A few of the perks would be: Domestic production, low greenhouse emissions, and growth of employment opportunities.
Pure ethanol contains 34% less energy, and has lower gas mileage than gasoline, when compared by the gallon. While it can only be used in flex fuel vehicles, it's cost is usually kept low to compete with gasoline. The U.S. Department of Energy encourages use of these fuels because they are environmentally safe and don't seem to be as damaging to public health, or a threat to energy security. It is estimated that ethanol and biofuels will likely reduce over 30% of gas demand in the United States alone by the year 2030. And usually, prices go down when demand drops.
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