Alternative Fuel Automotive Wisdom

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The safety of vehicles is always a very important consideration to make when choosing a new vehicle. It is also something that you will need to think about if you are deciding whether or not to convert your car to run on any form of alternative fuel.

Many people contemplating converting their cars to run on LPG wonder just how safe LPG is as a fuel. Because it’s called Liquid Petroleum Gas many people are concerned about its stability. Gas might be quite dangerous, however LPG isn’t necessarily.

LPG is a very safe fuel which has some excellent reports for safety, the main reason that LPG cars and trucks are safe is because of the way the fuel tank is constructed. This fuel tank is different to a petrol tank and is much more robust, this means that it won’t become damaged as easily.

LPG installations also have safety features to help prevent danger if there is a leak. LPG systems use quick fuel cut off systems which use 3 solenoids to shut off the LPG system if there is an accident, or if the car is not currently running. If an accident causes any damage to the fuel lines then the flow of gas will automatically be cut off.

Many people are so interested in the safety of using alternative fuels because they are considering using them in their vehicles which will carry their children. Any LPG system will be safe as long as it is installed professionally. Remember these are not the types of system that you can install by yourself in a weekend, by doing that you are asking for trouble.

So is LPG really safe?

Believe it or not LPG is perfectly safe; it is perfectly stable and is no more dangerous than petrol. As the tanks are even tougher than petrol tanks safety is ensured. No matter whether LPG is installed in a car or commercial vehicle such as a van or truck the system is still safe.

If you are ever in an accident then your car will automatically shut off the supply of LPG in a similar way to how many cars shut off their petrol supply. This ensures that you are kept safe without the risk of any fuel catching fire.

Some people are more worried about installing LPG in their car because petrol tanks will remain in the vehicle. Your car has been designed to hold a petrol tank, however just because you fit an LPG tank it doesn’t mean that it’s bad news. As long as your alternative fuel tank is installed professionally it shouldn’t cause any problems.

All LPG tanks and systems undergo a series of tests to ensure that they won’t put you in any danger. Any decent alternative fuel system will ensure that the fuel supply is cut should your car ever be in an accident.

Alternative fuels are the way of the future, but that doesn’t mean you have to make any compromises in terms of the safety of your car.

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There are many alternative fuels available on the market today. President Bush seems to be on a mission stating that Americans are “addicted” to oil.

Alternative fuel is quickly replacing gasoline, resulting in fewer pollution and cost efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy is guiding the efforts due to a need to limit air pollution levels to protect human health and the environment. The following are a list of alternative fuels that are becoming more and more mainstream. Eventually, these fuels will replace our dependency on gasoline.

Ethanol is a fuel made from crop grain. It is a renewable fuel. Ethanol is used in 10 percent blends with gasoline to create gasohol. Ethanol is not considered an alternative fuel unless it is mixed at 85 percent with gasoline to create E-85. You will start to see E-85 being provided at all major gas stations in the very near future.

Another alternative fuel that is replacing gasoline is Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). LPG consists mainly of propane, propylene, butane and butylenes in various mixtures. LPG is a byproduct of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. LPG can also be produced domestically; therefore, lessening our reliance on foreign companies to provide our fuel.

Methanol is an alcohol free fuel. A process using natural gas as a feedstock produces methanol. The alternative Methanol fuel is being used as M-85.

Biofuels are also beginning to enter the mainstream. Biofuels are chemicals made from cellulosic biomass such as herbaceous and woody pulp from agricultural and forestry residues. A majority of biofuels consists of municipal waste and industrial waste. Biofuels are also domestically grown, reducing our reliance on other countries to supply our fuels.

Finally, good old electricity is being tapped into to help power vehicles, known as hybrids. Batteries provide the electricity used to power these vehicles. The batteries are charged from electricity that is produced at a power plant. Power plants utilize fossil fuels to produce energy. There are no emissions from a hybrid, which is good for the environment.

We have listed several alternative fuels that are going to continue to replace gasoline on a massive level. These fuels are better for our health and for the health of the environment. They also will cut our reliance on foreign countries to provide us with our fuel. The end result will be lower costs at the pump.

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Last January 31, 2006, President George W. Bush outlined his plan for the widespread use of alternative fuels in the country. In his State of the Union Address last month, he announced a proposed mandate that 35 billion gallons of ethanol be produced until the year 2017. He also proposed to reduce the amount of emissions of greenhouse gasses by as much as 20 percent by the year 2017. Out of the 35 billion gallons mandated to be produced, 15 billion gallons of ethanol will come from starch while the 20 billion gallons will be from cellulose or cellulosic ethanol.

Cellulosic ethanol is a type of ethanol which comes from cellulose. This is different from the normal ethanol which comes from sugars and starches. This kind of ethanol is what Novozymes are helping to develop. The company has developed an enzyme cocktail that makes the mass production of cellulose ethanol possible. This technology is a better alternative to normal ethanol since the production of the latter causes the increase in the price of corn. This is because cellulosic ethanol comes from biomass including wastes from urban, agricultural, and forestry sources. In the production of this type of ethanol, no toxic emissions are generated which makes it a better alternative than other fuels.

Novozymes recently received a very distinguished guest – the President himself. Bush toured the facility’s laboratories and he also did pose for pictures with the workers of the company. The visit of the President at the facility is a part of his effort to boost the morale of those working in the alternative fuel industry. Aside from the financial support of the administration in the form of $2 billion aid in the funding of cellulosic ethanol plants, he also provides moral support though his visits to those plants such as that one in Novozymes.

The use of ethanol as fuel for cars in the United States is a part of the administration’s effort to address the problem of global warming. Ethanol is a good substitute to gasoline since it burns cleaner than gasoline. The only thing to consider about the use of ethanol as fuel is its corrosive nature. Without fortification, engine parts like Volvo 240 parts will be corroded. To combat this corrosive nature of ethanol, car manufacturers and engine designers fortify different components of the car to take on the corrosive nature of ethanol.

With the increasing awareness of the global community towards addressing the global warming issue, the United States is on its track towards making a difference. The country has been criticized in the past for being one of the major causes of the destruction of the environment. With the steps being taken by the government and the private sector, alternative fuels like ethanol will one day be the most commonly used fuel by the majority on US roads. Aside from the development of ethanol as the fuel of the future, US agencies are also developing biodiesel for use of vehicles equipped with a diesel engine. Aside from these two alternative fuels, the US market is also being flooded with hybrid cars which also reduce the dependency of the country on imported oil fossil fuels.

President Bush’s commitment to the development of alternative fuel is a great boost for the industry. With the government’s backing, more and more alternative fuels can be produced which will result to cleaner emission by vehicles. The development of these alternative fuels can also increase the number of employed person in the country. It would also decrease the dependency of the country on other countries which produce oil and then later on export them to the US.

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Joining the throng of car makers dedicated to help ease the world’s dependence on fossil fuels is DaimlerChrysler, the largest truck manufacturer in the world. At the National Biodiesel Board Annual Conference, Deb Morrissett, the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the said company, persuades the growing biodiesel industry to carry on their commitment to develop a natural standard for B20 as car makers are focusing their attention on developing and producing vehicles that will use run on alternative fuels.

The challenge to create a national specification for biodiesel is issued by Morrissett while stating that doing so would speed up the adoption of biodiesel. He further added that doing so would also help in the harnessing and directing the diverse research and investment efforts put into the development of such alternative fuel. He said that biodiesel should have a national fuel specification just like other fuels. “I’m looking forward to the time when anyone can fuel up with B20, but we’re not there yet,” he also added.

Morrissett also encouraged the industry to stay tuned for the company is intending to build on their diesel engine leadership for the coming future. They would do this with help from their partners like Cummins. As a sign of the company’s dedication to produce vehicles that will run on more environment friendly fuel, they have unveiled their Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 vehicles which come equipped with a 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine. This engine can run on B5 and B20 biodiesel. The said vehicles will become available in the market in March this year. The two trucks already meet emission standards that will be implemented in 2010 and this simply shows the company’s dedication to make their trucks not only to be high performance vehicles but are also safe just like EBC brake pads.

The company’s dedication to lessen the dependence on fossil fuel does not end in their use of efficient and clean diesel engines but they are also one of the car manufacturers which are developing the use of alternative fuels on their vehicles. A concrete example of this is the usage of B5 fuel of their Jeep Liberty and Jeep Grand Cherokee models. Both vehicles are approved for regular use of the B5 biodiesel fuel. Furthermore, their 2007 Dodge Ram can run on B20 biodiesel fuel and can be used for commercial, government, and military fleets.

Their support for the alternative fuel industry does not end there either. The company is planning to develop and produce cars that would be equipped with efficient gasoline engines, hybrid cars, flex-fuel vehicles which can run on gasoline as well as alternative fuel like bio-ethanol, electric vehicles and a test fleet of more than 100 fuel cell powered vehicles.

Their commitment to produce flexi-fuel vehicles will see them producing 250,000 units of the said vehicle which can run on E85 fuel – a fuel that is a mixture of gasoline and bio-ethanol. The 85 in the E85 stands for the percentage of bio-ethanol in the fuel which means that the E85 is 85 percent bio-ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The flexi-fuel vehicles that DaimlerChrysler will produce can also run on conventional gasoline efficiently. The company aims to double the production of their FFV fleet to 500,000 units in 2008.

During the conference, Loren Beard, manager of Fuel Legislation, Regulation and Policy, along with Scott Schramm, Manager of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, also tackled engine warranty issues, OEM experience with alternative fuels and how to deal with new regulations. The National Biodiesel Board Conference was held last February 5 in San Antonio, Texas.

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Vehicles play a major role in the current drive of the global community to decrease the dependency on fossil fuels in an effort to protect the environment much like an EBC Pad affects the stopping power of a car. Automotive vehicles running on gasoline or diesel is one of the major sources of harmful gases released into the atmosphere. Currently, different governments are addressing the problem that has become a major threat to the environment. In connection to this, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute will be hosting the thirteenth annual Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo which will be held on April 1to 4 this year in Anaheim, California. The conference will be an event that will be attended by different sectors which are dedicated to the promotion of alternative fuels.

Different experts on their fields will be present to tackle the future of the alternative fuels. Representatives from different sectors like truck manufacturers, fuel suppliers, government agencies, and parts manufacturers will be present at the said conference. The topics that will be discussed during the gathering are focused on different areas but all pertains in the development of the alternative fuel. Legislation regarding the use of alternative fuels will be tackled as well as EPA engine standards. Climate change, plug-in hybrids, ports, biofuels updates, and electric drive advances are some of the issues that will be addressed during the said conference. One of the objectives of the gathering is to provide knowledge to the different sectors how to make the transition to alternative fuels of different fleets more cost efficient.

During the alternative fuel summit, former CIA Director James Woosley and environmental policy expert Dr. Terry Tamminen will deliver the keynote addresses. Jim Kenzie, the chief auto reviewer for the Toronto Star will also grace the event. The event will be the place for decision-makers to have a feel for where the alternative fuel industry is going. The topics that will be tackled during the summit will give them a great view of what is in store for this blossoming industry. The information they may gather from the said event will be a great help in formulating new strategies in the production and development of new cars.

The event will also feature an Expo Hall where a wide range of vehicles, parts, and services which is connected to alternative fuels will be shown. A “Funding Pavilion” will also be featured to help agencies find the right tools in order to bring down the costs of transition to alternative fuels. The conference will also let the attendees have the chance to drive some of the vehicles shown at the Expo Hall to give them a feel how an alternative fuel powered vehicle performs. The final day of the event will be dedicated to showing the public what are the advances being made in the alternative fuel industry. This is an effort to get the public involved in the development of a better alternative for fossil fuels.

The organizer of the said event is an entrepreneurial organization that works as a bridge between the people who are looking for ways to incorporate transportation technologies to their products and those that can provide the said technology. The organization is backed by different companies in the hosting of the annual event. Among their prominent sponsors are Toyota, Honda, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, and Ford Motor Company. The dedication of these car makers in the development of alternative fuels is further shown in their lineup of cars that are now starting to acknowledge the importance of using alternative fuels.

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Biodiesel Fuel – An Introduction

here is now a growing movement in Biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel is a domestic, renewable fuel for diesel engines derived from natural oils like soybean oil. Biodiesel can be made at home. It’s easy enough to make, it saves money and it’s good for the planet. Cars are said to run better and last longer on biofuel, and as it’s cleaner it’s also better for the environment as well as health.  It’s made from leftover cooking oil which helps reduce the dumping of oil in sewers and landfills. In many countries including UK and USA filling stations are appearing where you can fill your car, as well organisations now set up to provide information about this environmentally-friendly fuel.

With recent increase in the prices of gas there has been a rising interest to look for an alternative fuel. People who drive will want something better than the conventional fuel. Many of them want a fuel that runs clean and safe in their cars. Also, they want fuel that is cheaper.

Today, there has being a number of new alternative fuel introduced in the market and a couple of them are getting pretty popular. One such alternative fuel is Biodiesel. Biodiesel offers the mass a good alternative.

A Different Fuel

One of the nice things that makes Biodiesel a good alternative fuel is that there is no need to buy a new car or even make modifications to your car so that you can use Biodiesel. As long as your car runs off diesel as fuel, you can definitely use Biodiesel.

Biodiesel is very different from regular fuel, but in positive ways. Biodiesel works like any other diesel fuel which is the main reason why you can use it in your car engine without modifying. In addition, it is a fact that Biodiesel tends to burn cleaner, so your engine will experience lesser wear and tear. Plus, it creates lesser pollution and so it is more environment-friendly. Biodiesel is also safer with less chance of explosion or fire.

Biodiesel Blends

It is interesting to note that most commercial Biodiesel sold in the marketing today are blended version. In short, Biodiesel and regular diesel are mixed together at different levels. The reason why it is done that way is because Biodiesel at its purest form does not perform well with conventional rubber parts found in most cars. Hoses and other rubber parts in the car will wear down over time with Biodiesel use. Mixing Biodiesel and regular diesel into a blend will help to rectify this common issue.

B100 (ie. 100% Biodiesel) is non-blended Biodiesel can still be found. For those who have upgraded their fuel system to not include rubber parts will get the best benefit from using pure Biodiesel. However, take note that a blended Biodiesel is still better than straight diesel fuel and it can be used in any diesel-driven vehicle without much issues.

Myths of Biodiesel

There are quite a number of myths about Biodiesel that make people become critical on the usability. The issue of Biodiesel breaking down rubber parts of the engine is not realy an issue when we look at the details. It is cheap when it comes to replacing the rubber parts compared to the known problems that may occur from using regular diesel. Biodiesel is much cleaner and so it will greatly reduce the general wear and tear. That means less service and maintenance to your vehicle.

In the end, people will realize that Biodiesel is simply a better choice. Despite the rumors and adverse talks, Biodiesel is a proven alternative fuel for drivers today.

For more info click here.

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If it’s a diesel, it’s an alt fuel vehicle by default. Biodiesel blends can be used in any diesel engine; however, it’s important to use the blends in accordance with the manufacturers specs. With more and more clean diesels coming on line, keep your eyes peeled for those ULSD pumps too. With fueling stations in all 50 states, it’s getting easier and easier for diesels to go cleaner and greener.
Biodiesel is a non-toxic and biodegradable fuel that is made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil, animal fats or tall oil (a by-product from pulp and paper processing). Biodiesel is produced from these feedstocks through a process called transesterification, by reacting the oil with an alcohol (usually methanol, although ethanol can also be used) and a catalyst (such as sodium hydroxide). The resulting chemical reaction produces glycerine and an ester called biodiesel. The majority of biodiesel is produced by this method.
Compared with conventional diesel, biodiesel combusts better with a higher cetane rating and produces fewer life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) which contribute to climate change.
Biodiesel blends, a mixture of petroleum diesel and biodiesel, can be used in any diesel engine. As biodiesel can be blended with diesel in any concentration, the blend level depends on economics, availability, the desired emissions level, material compatibility and combustion characteristics.
An increasing number of Original Equipment Manufacturers are endorsing the use of lower biodiesel blends, e.g, 5% in their engines. Some manufacturers now extend warranty coverage for new diesel powered vehicles to use lower blends of biodiesel, provided the fuel meets applicable standards. Some manufacturers also provide vehicles pre-filled with biodiesel blends.
In colder climates, biodiesel tends to lose viscosity, particularly at higher blend levels. To counter this effect, changes to the feedstock source or additives may be needed to address the cold flow properties of this fuel. Research and testing is underway to reduce biodiesel production costs and address cold weather problems.
Biodiesel is considerably less flammable than petroleum diesel, which burns at 50 C (120 F). Pure biodiesel (B-100) does not ignite until 150 C (300 F). The flashpoint (the temperature at which it will ignite when exposed to a spark or flame) of a biodiesel blend falls somewhere between these temperatures, depending on the mixture.
Because biodiesel is a mild solvent it is important to wipe up spills and dispose of rags safely. Biodiesel may deface some paints if left on painted surfaces for a long time.
Hybrids are vehicles of mixed composition basically, an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Commonly powered by a gasoline engine that generates its own electricity and stores it in an onboard battery, hybrids are a popular choice for awesome fuel economy and squeaky clean emissions.
Pure electrics offer zero emissions and plug directly into a standard AC outlet–while their range is limited, there are a selection of good choices available.
If it’s a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) it can subsist on a diet of E85, gasoline or any percentage of the two. E85 is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, and burns cleaner than gasoline, contributing fewer greenhouse gas emissions.One of the cleanest burning fuels, natural gas is a common retrofit and fleet alternative fuel.
Although there are over 5 million vehicles worldwide powered by natural and compressed gas, in the United States there’s currently only one production vehicle available that comes ready to fuel up at any CNG station–but that’s not the only way to power up with CNG.
Also known as liquefied propane gas (LPG), propane powers over 10 million vehicles worldwide, with 270,000 of them on the roadways of America. Find out if it’s the fuel of choice for your set of wheels.
There are basically two ways to use hydrogen to power a vehicle burning it in an engine or using it as an energy carrier for a fuel cell. While hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are in various states of development, there are a few that have actually hit the roads.

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Americans demonstrated their concerns over middle eastern energy dependence on fossil fuels and rising gas prices with a landslide defeat of Republican energy policies. These concerns are inextricably linked to fuel efficient cars and cleaner alternative fuels. The Democrats big win was a major bolster to green cars and alternative fuels.
Among the most striking politcal changes is the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Previously it was Republican James Inhofe, who referred to global warming as “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on mankind,”. Now Barbara Boxer is in, a California Democrat who strongly advocates mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
A close second to the most striking changes is in the House Resources Committee. Jerry McNerney, a California Democrat and wind-energy executive, will replace the current Republican chairman, Richard W. Pombo, who fought to open public lands to private interests.
Fuel efficient standards are emerging as a major political topic. Fuel-efficiency has declined during the past decade for nine of the 13 major manufacturers selling vehicles in the United States, according to a new study by the Consumer Federation of America.
Money losing U.S. automakers say that they can’t compete with fuel efficient imports as they suffer from a more than $1,000-per-vehicle disadvantage of higher costs for health insurance and pensions and therefore require government bailouts. This argument is continuing to lose steam though as profitable companies like Honda now produce more than 80% of their vehicles in the US and Canada.
Democrat Edward Markey has proposed raising combined light truck-car standards to an average of 33 miles per gallon by 2016 models. Democrat Barack Obama proposed increasing the average to 40.5 mpg for passenger vehicles and 32.6 mpg for the light-truck category, which includes SUVs, by 2020. Jerry McNerney, who defeated Pombo in California, says he will “dramatically increase the fuel efficiency of new vehicles.”
Fuel efficiency and energy independence is already taking a foothold in the next presedential election as likely Republican presidential candidate John McCain of Arizona and Democrat/Independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut both wish to address global warming. This will put even more pressure on the current Bush administration to cooperate with the Democrats as the Republicans look to avoid another blowout.
The future is definitely looking a little greener.

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With gas prices continuing to stay high, many people are looking at other fuel options, such as, for example, diesel fuel. Ethanol is another alternative fuel option that can also save you some money at the pump.
Ethanol, grain alcohol made mostly from corn in the U.S., has seen a resurgence in interest lately, including new federal mandates to produce at least 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2020. Most ethanol today is blended into gasoline in a mixture called E10, 10 percent ethanol to 90 percent gasoline. All new cars can use E10.
More controversial is a small amount that is blended into a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline called E85, which only a small percentage of cars can use without damage to their fuel systems.
Engineers are developing ways to make ethanol out of material other than food stocks, such as wood chips and old tires. This cellulosic ethanol will be needed to meet upcoming mandates for ethanol production, and will work in cars the same way corn ethanol does.
More than 7 million vehicles today can run on E85, and new biorefineries are increasing capacity. This has the added benefits of reducing dependence on foreign oil.
However, using ethanol as an alternative fuel source has a number of disavantages: firstly, cars running on E85 get 27 percent worse fuel economy than they do on gasoline, and less than 1 percent of U.S. gas stations currently sell E85. Secondly, federal fuel economy credits for ethanol may actually be reducing fuel economy in cars overall. And thirdly, increasing demand for ethanol has been blamed for driving up food prices.
The main problem, however, with ethanol is that the majority of engines on the road today are not designed for it. One exception is the Saab 9-5 Biopower engine, which IS optimized for ethanol. It outperforms gasoline, getting 20% more power, 16% greater torque, and 10% better mileage. The Lotus Exige 265E gets 45 more horse power on E85 than it gets on gasoline. Within the next two years, Suzuki, Ford, GM and numerous other car makers will introduce engines which exploit the advantages of ethanol for (a) its higher octane, (b) faster flame speed, (c) lower burn temperature (d) less heat loss, and most importantly (e) for its compatibility with water.
Our system of blending 15% gasoline into ethanol is not necessary. Ethanol can be denatured without using gasoline. That was how politicians created an incentive for oil companies to distribute ethanol, by giving them a 51 cent per gallon tax credit to blend it with gasoline. The problem is, ethanol performs better when it’s mixed with water rather than gasoline. This is called hydrous ethanol.
This is nothing new. In the 1920’s, the model A Ford cars and trucks ran on 165 proof ethanol, 17.5% water and 82.5% ethanol. Recently, a Hyatt Community College engine testing team lead by instructor Frank Petri, mixed 20% water with pure ethanol, and efficiency in the combustion chamber doubled. When the ethanol explodes, the water instantly turns into additional power in the form of steam and also provides hydrogen and oxygen inside the cylinder. Next year, Ford is introducing the EcoBoost engine, which may also have advanced ethanol technology that improves efficiency even more. Brazil has been using 4% hydrous ethanol for years.
John Roseby, Mechanical Engineer, University of Missouri said: From 1981 to 1989, I worked with Sean Hanley, who had been an engineer on a WW II submarine, and a former captain of a nuclear submarine. We developed two prototype cars, a Ford Pinto Station Wagon and a Mitsubishi Sedan, that ran as well on 65 proof ethanol (2/3 water and 1/3 ethanol) as they did on unleaded regular gas.
So if we can dilute pure ethanol with 2/3 water and run our vehicles on it, why aren’t we doing that? Its coming. The State of Louisiana is now planning an experimental hydrous ethanol program that may also be replicated in other states. Dongfeng, a major Chinese auto maker is introducing a car this year, with a slightly modified fuel system, that runs on 65% ethanol and 35% water. They claim hydrogen is formed. Toyota also has a similar hydrous ethanol prototype that produces on board hydrogen.
The argument that ethanol is inferior to diesel and gasoline is not valid. Pure ethanol has higher octane, faster flame speed, lower burn temperature which translates into less heat loss, and most importantly, it mixes with water. With advanced engine technology, it can outperform gasoline 2 to 1 or better. Major automakers are scheduled to produce smaller, lighter, high compression, turbocharged ethanol optimized engines that are a lot more efficient than current gasoline and diesel engines. The fuel will be cheaper, cleaner and made in the USA.
If you prefer an ethanol powered fuel cell, the Tacton Direct Proton Fuel Cell developed by Pinto University’s Research Park in Savannah, Georgia is about $2,000, only 1/10 the price of a hydrogen fuel cell. No need to compress hydrogen into ultra high pressure hydrogen tanks, which increases the cost of the fuel and the vehicle. Put safe and friendly ethanol in your conventional liquid fuel tank. Maybe that’s why Toyota is building ethanol plants in Brazil, and GM is investing in ethanol development in the U.S. They must know something we don’t know about ethanol.

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If you are growing tired of the continuous rise of the price of gasoline and of humankinds growing disregard for the natural environment then it may be time to start seriously considering the benefits of biodiesel fuel. The reasons are many why this alternative fuel source could be the answer to our future energy problems, but one thing is certain, reliance on fossil fuels is a dead end road because sooner or later they will run out.Let’s look at this from an alternate view point, namely the growing popularity of hybrid vehicles. These cars use small gasoline powered engine to continuously charge their batteries. This has the advantage of great gas mileage with lower emissions. But there is a trade off. They cost significantly more then their gas powered predecessors, so much so that the cost of purchasing a hybrid in many cases is much greater then any long term savings on gas purchases. You also have to consider that these cars still rely on crude oil as their fuel source, which as time goes on will become prohibitively expensive even for these high mileage wonders.This is where biodiesel fuel has a distinct advantage over even the new generation of high mileage hybrid cars. It is a clean burning alternative fuel that is made from renewable and recycled natural materials. In fact a vehicle using biodiesel will produce up to 60% less pollutants then any gas burning engine. While the fuel mileage is not as good biodiesel also does not suffer from the pressures of dwindling supplies driving prices up.Here’s the true beauty of making biodiesel; it can be made from any number of natural sources including vegetable oil (both fresh and used), animal fats, treated sewage, and lately studies have been successful in refining it from certain types of seaweed. This is what helps keep the cost down, the overwhelming supply of raw materials.Another caveat of the alternative fuel is the fact that you can make it in your backyard. After the initial investment of procuring and setting up your own biodiesel kit you can produce your own fuel almost cost free for as long as you wish. Before you do this you do need to make sure that you have a diesel powered vehicle, but if you do you can soon be self sufficient when it comes to your daily driving fuel needs.

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