| We are not talking about gasoline, diesel fuel, or | | | | from petroleum. You can also make hydrogen by |
| kerosene right now. An alternative fuel is defined as | | | | passing electricity through water. This process is |
| the choice of any fuel other than the traditional | | | | known as electrolysis. |
| selections; gasoline and diesel. | | | | 7. Electricity is another alternative fuel. We consider |
| What are the choices? | | | | electricity as an alternative fuel choice because it has |
| 1. Ethanol. Ethanol is a high-octane, low-emission fuel | | | | been used to power the motors in electric vehicles. |
| that has been used in racing for a long time. It is now | | | | Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular |
| made from renewable plant materials and can be | | | | nowadays and they will be mass-produced in late |
| used in normal vehicles. The bad thing about Ethanol is | | | | 2009. Most people think this is the answer to our |
| that it gets lower fuel economy ratings as opposed to | | | | economy problem but what most people don't realize |
| gasoline. | | | | is how expensive these electric vehicles are. |
| 2. Methanol. Methanol has a high octane rating and a | | | | 8. Biodiesel is another popular alternative fuel source. |
| low emission of pollutants. These characteristics make | | | | This is an additive or even a replacement for diesel |
| it a great fuel to use in engines in cars. Since the 1960s, | | | | fuel. biodiesel is made from animal fat and sometimes |
| the cars in the Indianapolis 500, which is a big race that | | | | vegetable oil. |
| is held annually, were powered with methanol. | | | | 9. Biomass. Biomass is derived from materials that are |
| 3. Natural gas. Natural gas is a by-product of oil drilling | | | | biological, predominantly vegetation, these include |
| and also coal mining. You can also harvest natural gas | | | | biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. |
| from natural gas fields. | | | | 10. P-series. This is a colorless, clear liquid fuel which |
| 4. Propane is another type of alternative fuel. Another | | | | have between a 89 and 93 octane rating. P-series |
| name for this kind of gas is liquefied petroleum gas. | | | | fuels are designed to be used in flex-fuel vehicles. This |
| Propane is the gas that is made when natural gas and | | | | will become more and more popular as we see more |
| crude oil is refined. | | | | flex-fuel vehicles. |
| 5. There are also blends of fuels. This is how we get | | | | This is just one list of the alternative fuels. There are |
| fuels known as E-85 where it is a mix of 85% Ethanol | | | | many more out there we just need to discover them. |
| and 15% gasoline. These are defined as mixtures | | | | Once a good alternative fuel is discovered that we |
| between traditional and alternative fuels. Another blend | | | | can mass-produce very cheap which gets better gas |
| is B20. | | | | mileage than our traditional fuel, the economy should |
| 6. Hydrogen is one of the more popular alternative | | | | start booming again. |
| fuels. Hydrogen is made commercially by refining it | | | | |