Steering Toward the Future & Resources

Part 13 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Automakers and researchers will continue to develop and improve on the transportation technologies we’ve discussed. They’re exploring better ways to use fuel cells, alternative fuels, and EV and HEV systems. They are also working on new ways to store energy, and creating lightweight advanced materials to […]

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High-Efficiency Advanced Vehicles

Part 12 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. No matter what the fuel, the higher the fuel economy of a car or truck, the less it pollutes. Fuel economy becomes even more important when you consider the growing popularity of sport utility vehicles (SUVs). According to Automotive News, General Motors expects SUVs to outsell […]

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Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Part 11 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Most major automakers produce and sell AFVs—cars, light- and heavy-duty trucks, shuttle buses, transit buses, off- road vehicles, and even boats. Many AFVs are sold as fleet vehicles, but some are now available to the public. In fact, you may already be driving around in an […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: P-Series

Part 10 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. P-Series is a relatively new alternative fuel. It is a blend of ethanol, methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF), and pentanes, with butane added for blends used in severe cold weather. Because both the ethanol and the MTHF can be produced from renewable biomass resources, emissions from producing and using […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: Hydrogen

Part 9 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Hydrogen is a simple, abundant element found in organic matter, notably in the hydrocarbons that make up many of our fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, methanol, and propane. As an energy carrier like electricity (not an energy source), it must be manufactured. Hydrogen can be […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: Electricity

Part 8 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Electricity is considered a fuel when used in vehicles. Electric vehicles use various types of batteries and other energy storage mechanisms to store the electricity used to run a vehicle. While the electricity production process for vehicles may contribute somewhat to air pollution, an electric vehicle […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: Propane

Part 7 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly called propane, is a mixture of at least 90 percent propane, 2.5 percent butane and higher hydrocarbons, and ethane and propylene make up the remaining balance. It is a byproduct of natural gas processing and/or petroleum refining. A propane-powered vehicle can’t […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: Natural Gas

Part 6 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly methane. It can be produced either from gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production. Natural gas is a clean burning, domestically produced fuel that generates significantly less carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrous oxide […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: Methanol

Part 5 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Methanol, another alcohol-based fuel, is usually produced from natural gas, but it can also be produced from biomass. Therefore, it has the potential to help reduce petroleum imports. Methanol-powered vehicles emit smaller amounts of air pollutants, such as hydro- carbons, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides, than […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: Biodiesel

Part 4 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Biodiesel is an ester (like vinegar) that can be manufactured from different types of oils such as vegetable oils and animal fats. Each year about 30 million litres of biodiesel is produced in the USA recycled cooking oils and soybean oil. Biodiesel is currently not available […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: Ethanol

Part 3 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. The most widely used alternative transportation fuel is ethanol. Ethanol is an alcohol usually made from corn or corn by-products, using a process similar to brewing beer. Vehicles that run on ethanol have less carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions than conventional vehicles. In the USA, […]

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Choices: Biofuels

Part 2 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Not only do alternative fuels burn cleaner to reduce emissions, but some are also renewable, unlike fossil fuels, which means that we could develop a continuous supply of them. Alternative fuels in use today include ethanol, biodiesel, methanol, natural gas, propane, electricity and hydrogen. Biofuels are […]

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Why Drive an Advanced or Alternative Fuel Vehicle?

Part 1 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Transportation accounts for more than 67% of oil consumption in the USA-more than it produces. Today, our country imports more than 54 percent of its oil, and suggested that this could increase to 75% by 2010. According to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the average vehicle […]

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