Alternative Fuel Types

It is no secret now that global warming is no myth, and the serious threat that it poses is leading us to discover and explore different alternative fuels for our vehicles. It has become a common sight to see these mechanical creations spitting and spewing out smoke and other harmful chemicals into the environment, and the effects of the strain on the atmosphere are going to cripple us sooner or later.

Moreover, these are all not renewable sources of energy, and it will take millions of years to replenish petroleum and natural gas and the like once all available sources have been emptied and sucked dry. Hence the need to find some alternative measures and fuels is all the more pressing today, and it is high time our governments started seriously examining this situation.

Examples of Alternative Fuels

The Industrial Revolution and further advancements have led to a steady decline in the quantity of conventional fuels that are available to us, and this has further compounded the need for various types of alternative fuels for cars. The exploitation and monopoly enjoyed by the petroleum cartels of the Middle East are another reason why we need to find some other sources as soon as possible.

There are many different types of alternative fuels that can be used today, but the fact of the matter is that not all of them are feasible to use on a big scale. Various factors like the source of the fuel, its wholesale availability, its retail availability, its distribution capacity and the various alternative fuels pros and cons that are specially applicable to it also need to be taken into consideration. Based on a feasibility study of all these factors one can determine how useful and effective a particular source of alternative fuel will be. Here are some options that are certainly worth studying in detail, to find economical and effective solutions to this global problem that we are facing today.

Electricity
This is definitely the future of all automobiles in the world, but the high price of the infrastructure and the dearth of electricity in many countries is a major stumbling block. These problems will eventually be solved with the economies of scale, and pretty soon all the prototypes of electric cars that major car brands churn out, will become the norm all around the world. With proper implementation techniques, renewable energy sources for generating electricity can soon be capitalized on, and this will change the face of the earth forever.

Ethanol or Methanol
These alternatives are variants of alcohol, and can be generated from natural gas or any other carbon containing natural resources. Their future is very bright thanks to the low environmental pollution levels that they emit, and many vehicles and projects already involve their use. They are much cheaper to procure as well, but they depend on reserves of natural gas to a large extent. So sooner or later, methanol and ethanol too will be depleted unless some reliable alternative sources for them are found.

Hydrogen
Today hydrogen is produced by breaking up natural gas and other such resources. But the biggest source of hydrogen is water, and once we figure out a way to extract hydrogen and use it as a fuel this source will rule the world for years to come. Water will never run scarce on our planet, and this is perhaps the source with the most potential out of all the different types of alternative fuels for automobiles that we can use. A lot of research and scientific study is still necessary, but the future certainly looks bright for this option.

Biodiesel
Another great renewable source is biodiesel which is created by processing and extracting energy from various kinds of plants and vegetables. Hence their supply will also never run short, and their reduced emission levels can be a major advantage for us. The only thing holding us back here is the cost of biofuels and the cost of machinery and equipment that can extract large amounts of expendable biomass energy from these various sources.

Other alternative fuels like propane, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hybrid fuels can also be made use of. We need to act soon, before the damage reaches irreversible and permanent proportions. Exploring and making use of these alternative energy sources for fuel will benefit us in many ways, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our planet is not abused any more than it already is.