Alternative Vehicle Review
December 20, 2008 by admin
Filed under Alternative Energy, Alternative Fuel, BioFuels, Ethanol, Featured, Hybrid Cars
Alternative fuel vehicles are automobiles that are powered by fuels other than gasoline. There are many alternatives that are now being used and tested in order to decrease our dependency on fossil fuels. Some examples of alternative fuel vehicles include:
Hybrid – Hybrid vehicles are powered by both a combustion engine and an electric motor. Advanced technologies for hybrids include regenerative braking, assisted power generated by the electric motor, and the process of powering down when idling. Hybrid cars are one of the most popular alternative vehicles on the market today.
Electric – These vehicles use an electric motor and electric controls instead of the internal combustion engine. Some advantages to the electric car include very low maintenance and zero emissions. Electric cars also do not give off as much noise pollution as a normal car. Some disadvantages include limited travel distance before having to recharge and slow acceleration.
Hydrogen – Hydrogen vehicles convert hydrogen to power through either a modified version of the internal combustion engine, currently available on the market today, or via hydrogen fuel cells which are still in development. Some obstacles in the development of hydrogen fuel cells is cost, fragility of the cell itself and poor performance in freezing temperatures.
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)- CNG vehicles run on compressed natural gas as opposed to gasoline. This kind of car is more environmentally friendly than a gasoline vehicle, and when compared to all the other alternative methods, is the safest. One complaint of CNG vehicle owners is the large fuel tank compared to that of conventional gasoline tanks, which limits trunk space.
Ethanol (e85)- E85 vehicles are powered by ethanol, a fuel made from corn and other natural products. These vehicles release no fossil based carbon dioxide. One disadvantage of this type of fueled car is that it is can be very difficult to start in cold weather. However, there are cold conversion kits on the market today that can eliminate this problem. Some people have simply added a couple gallons of gasoline to the tank prior to the cold season to eliminate the problem as well.
Propane – Propane vehicles are powered by propane fuel instead of gasoline. These vehicles are up to thirty percent less expensive than conventional gasoline vehicles to operate. Propane was approved by the 1990 Clean Air Act as an alternative fuel, and vehicles powered by propane produce thirty to ninety percent less carbon monoxide than gasoline engines.
Biodiesel – Vehicles that are powered by biodiesel are very similar to diesel vehicles in operation except for the fuel itself. Biodiesel vehicles can run on a combination of natural oil and an alcohol such as ethanol or methanol or exclusively on waste vegetable oil, from restaurant fryers or other food industries.
Limited petroleum sources combined with rising gasoline prices and consumer demand will encourage vehicle manufacturers to produce and develop alternative fuel vehicles. These vehicles, in the long run, will reduce transportation costs as well as benefit the environment.
|
Please visit alternative fuel vehicles for more information and gas saver tips to increase fuel mileage. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Taylor_Turnstone |
Related Websites -
Why Investing in Alternative Energy Companies is a Bad Idea. There has been a lot of buzz over the last year or so about alternative energy. Rightfully so, given oil's ever upward march in price. You can find many reasons to invest in green companies, but many seem to be rooted in emotion, rather than any analytic thought process....... -
Hybrid Electric Car Auto Insurance This post is a guest blog written by Travis Overby. With skyrocketing gas prices and the increasing concerns about the impact of carbon emissions on the environment, Hybrid Electric Cars have been growing in popularity. A hybrid electric vehicle combines a fuel-efficient gas engine with an electric motor. The purpose...... -
Green Electric Hybrid Car There is a revolution going on right now that has many consumers purchasing electric cars, hybrid cars and other green vehicles and cars as a means of increasing the efficiency of their vehicles while decreasing the emissions that their cars create while they are on the road. While one way...... -
Saving Fuel with Hybrid Electric Cars Hybrids are made to operate in all of the same conditions and temperatures that standard automobiles are, while being powered by multiple fuel technology. The use of a rechargeable energy cell system supplements the gasoline engine for propulsion. The basic principals are not hard to understand: hybrid automobiles use the...... -
How to Compare Hybrid Cars It is hard to find a comparative ranking for hybrid cars, so how do you compare hybrid cars if you have trouble getting the information that you need? Luckily there are not that many types of hybrid vehicles on the market today, so when you decide to compare hybrid cars......