A look at several alternative fuel sources

I read a great article about alternative fuel sources.  I caution you that it is a bit long.  The article details six alternatives to petroleum.  And, as we all know, there are many reasons for us to curb our appetites for petroleum.

These alternatives vary widely from each other and each presents different strengths and weaknesses.  Each fuel source was briefly explained with pros and cons being pointed out.  After that each was given a graded outlook.  

Biodiesel and Hydrogen were both given “good” outlooks, but hydrogen carried the disclaimer that it would be a while until it was actually useful.  Hydrogen has a lot of promise and many car companies are spending lots of money to research it.  Biodiesel, however, is already starting to make an impact on the ground shipping industry with companies such as, Fedex, UPS, and DHL.

The next two we have heard about a lot more.  Ethanol and its E85 blend were given a “hopeful” outlook and electricity (including hybrids) were given a “mixed” outlook.  The availability of ethanol and the need for better and cheaper batteries are some of the problems these two face.  

Methanol and its M85 blend where deemed “cloudy” and natural gas was labeled “limited.”  Methanol has been overpowered by its cousin ethanol and natural gas is still an unrenewable resource.

 Petroleum might be a hard habit to kick but we’ve got many options on the way.  As time progresses, these outlooks may change greatly;  it only takes a breakthrough in one area for the entire paradigm of alternative fuels to change.  Who knows, maybe a new source will one day make all these alternatives obsolete.

See Also

• AutoWarranties.com
  Have peace of mind with a great auto warranty
• More Hybrid Alternatives
  A new engine design to compete with all those hybrids.