Alternative Fuels

Biodiesel is an earth-friendly alternative to regular diesel fuel that can be made at home with used or fresh cooking oils. However, like regular diesel, biodiesel is prone to clouding up or...

Adding methanol (paint thinner) and lye (drain cleaner) to vegetable oil will produce diesel fuel--called biodiesel--but of exceedingly poor quality. Producing something you would want to put in...

Since it is made mostly from recycled vegetable oils, Biodiesel fuel is gaining tremendous popularity as an alternative, or "green" fuel. Most modern diesel engines will run very nicely...

A hydro car is an electric car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe. As a fuel source it can be derived from fossil fuels, biomass and most...

Vegetable and biodiesel fuels have gained popularity in the United States as fuel prices have increased and people have become more environmentally conscious. Converting a standard diesel truck to...

Gas mileage is often a topic of debate as oil costs rise and the price to consumers at the pump skyrockets. Improving your gas mileage will of course be green and help the planet but it will also...

The basic promise of hydrogen fuel in a car is the ability to safely convert the power of hydrogen into automotive mobility while being cost-effective and replacing fossil fuels. The most common...

Although there are many hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles already on the market, with many more on their way, some inventive people would rather convert their existing car to take alternative...

The original diesel engine was designed to run on vegetable oil, and older-model diesel engines can be converted to run primarily on common fry oil rather than petroleum products. Clean cooking...

Vehicles that use biodiesel fuel decrease the United States' dependence on imported conventional oil since biofuel is made from natural resources and blends that contain vegetable oil and even...

In the interest of renewable sources of fuel, E85 has become increasingly popular and more widely available. E85 fuel is a blend of 85 percent ethanol--derived from grain--and 15 percent unleaded...

If you are reading this article, it is safe to assume you don’t own a hybrid car yet, or simply you have no intention of buying one in the very near future. I will however make the assumption that...

Ethanol is an alternative fuel included in some percentage in most gasoline you buy at the pump. Some vehicles can run on both gasoline and ethanol.

The federal government publishes fuel efficiency ratings for most cars that allow consumers to consider factors such as the environmental and fuel costs of a vehicle. However, the federal ratings...

Alternative fuels such as biodiesel are healthy for the environment and the public health. Their production is only growing, and many biodiesel operations are performed in private homes. Producing...

A hydrogen fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. In theory you can use a hydrogen fuel cell as an alternative to batteries for any application that requires large batteries....

Science has known about the existence of hydrogen for about 250 years. People have been using hydrogen fuel as transportation since a few years after its discovery. America's hydrogen market...

Natural gas is considered an alternative fuel. Natural gas vehicles, which are more efficient than hybrid electric vehicles, work similarly to gas-powered vehicles and have spark ignited engines....

Propane gas makes for excellent juicy hamburgers when used in an outdoor grill. But that same propane also can be used to make a trip to the store to buy the groceries, too. Small-engine...

As the search for alternative energy intensifies, there are numerous advantages to using hydrogen fuel cell electrical vehicles. Because they don't use gas and only emit vapor, they don't give off...

Automotive manufacturers are becoming motivated to develop vehicles that use forms of fuel other than gasoline in an effort to decrease dependency on oil. Many new technologies have emerged, and...

The Ford Motor Company has offered over the years a long line of cars, trucks and SUVs that are equipped with engines using flexible fuel. Flexible fuel, also called flex-fuel or E85, contains 85...

Hydrogen fuels offer some of the most efficient ways to "green up" cars in the future. But the approach also brings some challenges in terms of mass-market application and production.

Various companies, including BioPerformance, Fuel (or "Forever") Freedom International (FFI) and PowerPlus MPG either sell or recently sold pills and other forms of additives designed to increase...

A number of alternative fuels are available to the typical car owner, including ethanol, compressed natural gas, and hydrogen. Some alternative fuels require engine conversion.

Cars powered by hydrogen either have a H2ICE (hydrogen internal combustion engine) or make use of a hydrogen fuel cell. Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have an electric motor that runs on electricity...

Converting a diesel engine to run from waste cooking oil can reduce or almost eliminate your need to purchase petroleum based diesel fuel for your car or truck. Your engine will not need any...

Hydrogen fuel cell cars use hydrogen that reacts with oxygen to produce electricity to power an electric engine. The cars have zero emissions when running, because the only byproducts of the...

Hydrogen fuel cells are a revolutionary technology that dates to the early 1800s. However, fuel cells have only been used in any serious capacity since the 1960s. Since then, fuel cells have been...

Because of the fluctuating cost of gas, many people are weighing alternatives for powering vehicles. Some options are more viable than others, and you have to weigh the cost savings against the...

Ford Motor Company reports that 15 of its cars, trucks and SUVs can get 25 miles per gallon or better, based on EPA-estimated highway mpg and powertrain combinations. But Ford is making a...

High prices and contamination by petroleum mean it is time to find alternatives for heat and energy production. Converting vegetable oils into diesel fuel is a popular and inexpensive method of...

Biodiesel is an alternative, renewable fuel produced from vegetable oil or animal fats that can be used to power standard diesel engines. It can also be combined with petroleum diesel to produce a...

The day that the world's dependence on oil is finally broken won't come about due to hybrid, diesel or even pure electric cars, rather that'll happen when hydrogen fuel cell technology becomes...

Compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles are few and far between, with the Honda Civic GX the only model produced by a major manufacturer. Other companies, including Toyota, have previously built CNG...

Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) fuel systems are diesel motors modified to use vegetable oil instead of petroleum diesel for fuel. The lower viscosity of SVO requires a heated fuel tank, an in-line...

Generally, the public's interest in water fuel technology is typically stirred by high gas prices and peak oil concerns. Another consideration, overlooked by many people, is fuel efficiency. The...

As America and the world search for alternative forms of energy production, hydrogen fuel has become a leading contender. It burns cleanly, leaving no pollutants, and it is available in...

LPG (also known as autogas or propane) cars run on either LPG or gasoline. You can either buy a car with dual-fuel LPG system installed, or get a conversion. There are three main types of LPG...

The element hydrogen is the simplest of elements, consisting of one proton and one electron. It is the most abundant element in the universe, consisting of up to 75 percent of matter by mass.

Alternative fuels are vehicle fuels that are derived from sources other than petroleum. These are a potential means of reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and are gaining increased...

Corn can be grown for a variety of purposes, only some of which have to do with food for humans or animals. As the price of gasoline and related products rises, corn is increasingly being grown to...

Vegetable oil can be an excellent alternative to diesel fuel. It is a cleaner burning fuel that can be made from oils that would have been previously discarded. Using new oils has some inherent...

Electric automobiles can be grouped into three basic categories, DC electric, AC electric and fuel cell. Each one of these has its advantages and disadvantages and is being looked at as a viable...

The world of electric cars, or EV for electronic vehicles, has come out of the shadows to move forward once again. Not since the turn of the last century have we seen this much interest in...

Hydrogen-powered cars are a relatively new technology, although hydrogen-powered engines date as early as 1807. These automobiles are powered by two types of engines: the internal combustion...

Biodiesel is an alternative type of biodegradable fuel that is used in diesel engines. There is no petroleum present in biodiesel's pure form, although it is commonly mixed with petroleum to...

Ethanol is the same form of alcohol present in alcoholic drinks. It is produced in the same way as alcoholic spirits as well: fruit, sugar, or vegetable matter is fermented and then distilled. The...