Alternative fuel is any method of powering an engine that do not involve petroleum (oil). Some alternative fuels are electricity, hithane, hydrogen, natural gas, and wood.

Some of these come into the category of renewable energy. Renewable energy includes electricity generation for the home, while the term "alternative fuels" tends to refer to mobile energy. Some alternative fuels and the cars they power are : ethanol, oil shale, steam engine cars (like the Stanley Steamer), coal-oven steam cars, electric vehicle, electric cars recharged by solar cells, Tesla's electric car (with antenna), hydrogen fuel cell (see hydrogen car), hydrogen internal-combustion car (see hydrogen car), water fuel cell, hempseed oil fuel, organic fuel (garbage), gas vaporizing carburetor, magnet car, and air car. Some less conventional alternative fueled cars are : wind-up car, nuclear powered, rubber band (stored energy), spring power (stored energy), and wind-powered sail cars. Most alternative fuels are designed to be cheap, non-polluting, non-finite sources of fuel or power.

From Wikipedia.

Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors and can be configured to obtain different objectives, such as improved fuel economy, increased power, or additional auxiliary power for electronic devices and power tools.

Some of the advanced technologies typically used by hybrids include:

Regenerative Braking. The electric motor applies resistance to the drivetrain causing the wheels to slow down. In return, the energy from the wheels turns the motor, which functions as a generator, converting energy normally wasted during coasting and braking into electricity, which is stored in a battery until needed by the electric motor.

Electric Motor Drive/Assist. The electric motor provides additional power to assist the engine in accelerating, passing, or hill climbing. This allows a smaller, more efficient engine to be used. In some vehicles, the motor alone provides power for low-speed driving conditions where internal combustion engines are least efficient.

Automatic Start/Shutoff. Automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarts it when the accelerator is pressed. This prevents wasted energy from idling.

Flex-fuel Vehicles

Flex-fuel vehicles (FFV) have a single fuel tank, fuel system, and engine. The vehicles are designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline and an alcohol fuel (either ethanol or methanol) in any mixture - for example, 100% gasoline, E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline), or M85 (85% methanol, 15% gasoline) or any combination of these fuels.

A flexible fueled vehicle (FFV) has a single fuel tank, fuel system, and engine. The vehicle is designed to run on unleaded gasoline and an alcohol fuel (usually ethanol) in any mixture. The engine and fuel system in a flex-fuel vehicle must be adapted slightly to run on alcohol fuels because they are corrosive. There must also be a special sensor in the fuel line to analyze the fuel mixture and control the fuel injection and timing to adjust for different fuel compositions. The flex-fuel vehicle offers its owner an environmentally beneficial option whenever the alternative fuel is available.

Flex-fuel technology was created by Ford Motor Company in the mid-1980s. Flexible fueled vehicles (also called variable fuel vehicles) have been produced by Ford (Ranger, Crown Victoria and Taurus), GM (Chevy S-10 and GMC Sonoma), and Daimler-Chrysler (Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan).

Bi-fuel Vehicles

A bi-fuel vehicle has two separate fuel systems, with the capability to easily switch from one to the other. The vehicle can be powered by either system. One fuel system is usually designed to run on gasoline or diesel, in order to assure a readily available fuel source. In currently available U.S. models, the other fuel system is usually designed to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied propane gas (LPG).

bi-fuel vehicle has two separate fuel systems, one for gasoline or diesel and another for either liquefied propane gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG). Because CNG and LPG stored in pressurized tanks, they cannot be simply pumped into the gasoline tank. The bi-fuel design allows the use of an alternative fuel when available.

The need for two separate fuel systems and a storage tank for a gaseous fuel increases the cost of bi-fuel vehicles and reduces cargo space. A propane tank, for example, is about the size of a spare tire.

Where low cost CNG or LPG is available, however, bi-fuel vehicles can offer a cleaner, more economical alternative to gasoline or diesel. CNG is one of the cleanest of the fossil fuels. Compared to gasoline, its use could bring about a significant reduction in tailpipe emissions of carbon monoxide (about 70%), nitrogen oxides (about 50%), and ozone-causing pollutants (about 90%). In addition, particulate emissions would be almost eliminated. In tests conducted in California, propane-powered vehicles produced about 45% less carbon monoxide than did gasoline vehicles and about 20% less nitrogen oxides; they also had about 60% less smog forming pollution.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

Gasoline powered vehicles can be modified to use compressed natural gas. Vehicles can be designed for the dedicated use of CNG, or more commonly as bi-fuel vehicles which can use either CNG or gasoline.

Electric Vehicles (EVs)

The only vehicles to meet California's Zero Emission Vehicle requirement, battery electric vehicles offer quiet, pollution-free operation. Unfortunately, electricity generation is not pollution free so EVs produce indirect environmental impacts, but are still far cleaner than gasoline-powered vehicles. Though still range limited, recent advances in battery and electric motor technologies have made EVs more practical than ever before.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Gasoline-powered vehicles can be modified to use LPG (more commonly known as propane). LPG has been used to provide energy for transportation for over 60 years, and LPG vehicles are the most common alternative fuel vehicles. Vehicles can be designed for the dedicated use of propane or as bi-fuel vehicles that can use either propane or gasoline.

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