ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Alternative fuels speak to non-petroleum-based energy sources used to power vehicles that serve as substitutes for conventional gasoline and diesel. Adopting alternative fuels reduces dependence on crude oil imports while lowering harmful emissions.

A variety of different types to consider follow.

Ethanol: Made by fermenting and distilling starch crops like corn and sugarcane, it can replace some gasoline in vehicles. Most car engines can run on blends of up to 15% ethanol mixed with petrol.

Biodiesel: Derived from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled cooking greases, they replace or can be mixed directly with diesel in diesel engines. Common feedstocks include soybean, canola and palm oils.

Propane: Also known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane produced as a fossil fuel by-product can power light and medium duty vehicles reducing ozone emissions.

Natural Gas: Abundantly available domestically from fossil fuel extractions, methane-rich CNG (compressed natural gas) or LNG (liquefied natural gas) can fuel heavy vehicles like transit buses.

Hydrogen: While not naturally occurring, hydrogen produced using renewable electrolysis of water holds great promise for fuel cell vehicles with pure water vapor emissions.

Electricity: Battery-powered electric vehicles use stored grid electricity over internal combustion. As grids shift to renewable sources, EVs can eliminate fossil fuel needs completely.

The shared benefits of switching to alternative fuels/vehicles are reduced greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants, improved energy security by utilizing domestic feedstocks while cutting foreign oil imports, economic growth from emerging alternate industry jobs and performance on par with gasoline.

But logistical barriers around production, distribution and transport have limited widespread alternative fuel adoption presently. Government support for production infrastructure and purchase incentives along with more cost-competitive renewables-based fuels can accelerate viable alternatives to gasoline/diesel vehicles.

Transitioning from finite, environmentally destructive fossil fuels to domestically available, clean renewable sources for transportation promises a more sustainable future. The growth of alternative fuels complements electric vehicle adoption in eliminating use of dirty oils.