Alternative Fuels For Automobiles

The need for using and implementing alternative fuels for cars has seen a massive surge in public opinion over the last few years, owing primarily to unprecedented climate changes, the economic meltdown and the simple need of contributing towards a cleaner environment. Since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, cars and automobiles have run on petroleum based products (petrol and diesel). Throughout the past few centuries this has been a very suitable alternative as there have been ample amounts of natural sources of petroleum, and the number of vehicles and automobiles had been relatively lesser.

But something changed in this regard since the middle of the 20th century. Suddenly the number of automobiles multiplied endlessly, and we were left covering our ears due to the cacophony of blaring horns, and covering our noses and mouths due to the noxious fumes these hordes of automobiles were spraying on us. In the midst of it all, the stockpile of natural resources slowly kept diminishing, and today we are faced with the very real possibility of these resources completely running out. It's hard to imagine a world without petrol, as it would bring entire countries to a complete standstill. All these factors have contributed to the inherent need to resort to some alternative fuels for cars now, fuels that do not harm the earth's atmosphere, do not harm the masses, and are also renewable at the same time.

Another cause for the need of alternative fuels for cars is the monopoly enjoyed over the sources of petroleum in the world by the cartels that exist in the Middle East. Petroleum is a valuable resource, and Middle Eastern countries sit on the majority of them and exploit other countries since there are no alternatives. This has provided these countries with unprecedented power and given them room to dictate negotiations on their terms. This is not to say that all these countries are merely crooks, and this is in no way undermining their integrity, it is just a simple fact that any other country in their place would also do the same. Having the option of alternate fuels for automobiles would reduce much of the dependence on these countries though, and level the playing field a little bit.

Propane
The refining process for petroleum is divided into many different stages and complexities, and one of the by-products that can be easily achieved via this process is Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Consisting mainly of the compound propane, this is a derivative of natural gas found under the earth's surface and is an extremely useful option as alternative fuels. The primary advantage of using this is the reduced amount of pollutants that are released into the atmosphere. The longevity of the engine and the vehicle in general also experiences a 2-3 times increase.

Bio Diesel
A completely natural form of fuels for cars is bio diesel. This is derived from the refining carried out on certain types of plants and vegetables, so the perpetuity of using it is easy to see. Containing all the properties of diesel, this fuel can be used in many vehicles with relative ease, without the aid of any external devices or transformation components. Again, the major advantage of bio diesel is the highly reduced environmental pollution caused by emission.

Methanol or Ethanol
Like all the other alternate fuels for automobiles, these too have the benefit of lower pollution levels, and less harmful emission toxicants. Both are produced from natural gas, and are extremely promising and reliable fuels for the not so distant future. The benefit of methanol is that it can be made from any resource that contains some amount of carbon in it. It is already in use in certain projects and places, and within the next few years expect this to become a very common fuel for cars.

Electricity
This is possibly the best means that can be used in this regard, and once properly implemented and practiced the benefits will be there for the entire world to see. There are a number of prototypes released by major automobile companies that already run on electricity, and the only way for the production and sales of these vehicles to go is up. The constraints of this fuel are the lack of pulling power in the vehicle and the general dearth of electricity in most countries of the world. Both these problems will be solved in the next few years, no doubt. The noise pollution and air pollution caused by the vehicles running on these electricity is minimal.

This list is by no means an extensive list, as there are many more options that are being worked on and looked into. Developed countries have more of a responsibility in their hands in order to carry out research regarding this field, as they have the resources at their disposal. Despite their firm stance against it, it is the developing countries that contribute more to pollution levels in the atmosphere and also to the now ambivalent dilemma of global warming.

For a person to sit and analyze the entire situation, there are numerous pros and cons of alternate fuels, but at the end of the day the benefits of alternative fuels greatly outweigh and combat the disadvantages of our regular conventional fuels. We must look at the bigger picture and take some firm strides towards protecting our precious and unique planet, because if we do not do so, we will have failed as a race.