|
Alternative fuels: Is help on the way?
Diesel
These vehicles run on diesel fuel that, like gasoline, is a petroleum
derivative produced in the refining process.
| Pros: |
| • |
Depending on market conditions,
diesel fuel can cost less per gallon than gasoline. |
| • |
Diesel-powered vehicles generally
get higher fuel mileage than gasoline vehicles. |
| • |
Diesels tend to go longer between
major overhauls. |
| Cons: |
| • |
Because of some tailpipe-emission
problems, most diesel passenger cars aren't available in California
and the Northeast region. |
| • |
Only a few manufacturers -- Mercedes-Benz,
Volkswagen and Jeep -- offer diesel passenger cars in the U.S. |
| • |
Diesel fuel is not always available. |
Biodiesel fuel
These vehicles run on this clean-burning fuel made from renewable
resources, such as soybean oil, blended with petroleum diesel.
| Pros: |
| • |
Cleaner-burning than petroleum-based
diesel fuel. |
| • |
It's made essentially from vegetable
oil, so it's a renewable resource and biodegradable. |
| • |
It can run in almost any diesel
engine. |
| Cons: |
| • |
It's not widely available. |
| • |
It costs significantly more than
regular diesel fuel. |
E85 ethanol
fuel
Some vehicles run on this clean-burning fuel
usually made from corn and blended with gasoline.
| Pros: |
| • |
It's a blend
of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol, an alcohol-based
fuel that, in the U.S., is made from corn. |
| • |
It burns cleaner
than straight gasoline and requires less oil to make. |
| Cons: |
| • |
It contains only
about 72 percent of the energy of regular gasoline, so you get
fewer miles per gallon. |
| • |
It costs about
the same as straight gasoline |
| • |
It
is only available at 620 stations, mostly
in the Midwest. |
| • |
It
is not available to the public in some
states, such as New York, Florida, Texas,
and the Northeastern states, but may be
in the future. Only one station sells
it to the public in California. |
M85 methanol
fuel
Most methanol fuel in the U.S. is sold as
a blend of 85 percent methanol with 15 percent
unleaded premium gasoline.
| Pros: |
| • |
It is similar to E85 ethanol. M85
methanol can be used in the same vehicles that will also run
on E85. |
| • |
M85 is made from natural gas or
coal, the most abundant form of energy in the U.S.; it can reduce
reliance on oil imports. |
| • |
It has historically been used at
the Indianapolis 500. |
| Cons: |
| • |
Costs per gallon are higher than
with gasoline or E85 ethanol fuels. |
| • |
Vehicles get fewer miles per gallon
on methanol. |
| • |
Methanol is less widely available
than E85 ethanol. |
|
