Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Globally, more and more people are expressing an interest in switching from gasoline powered vehicles to ones that operate using alternative fuels. Alternative fuels that are environmentally friendly, can actually help to conserve the natural resources that are used to produce gasoline, and protect the environment as well. Drilling and other invasive methods will no longer be necessary, protecting the habitats of many endangered creatures.

For those who are thinking of making the switch to an alternative fuel vehicle or AFV, it’s important to investigate all the alternatives available before settling on just one choice. While almost everyone agrees that AFV’s are better for the environment, costs and the limitations of owning them should be carefully considered. At this time, AFV choices are somewhat limited but the growing consumer demand will inevitably drive the costs lower and improve the choices available.

Four Facts About Alternative Fuels

1. Electricity, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, ethanol, and compressed natural gas, produce fewer vehicle emissions than traditional gasoline and diesel. Studies have shown that each of them contributes toward a cleaner environment.

2. Unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate materials; standard tailpipe emissions from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles, are responsible for about one-third of U.S. air pollutants. Vehicles powered by alternative fuels would reduce these emissions considerably. Also, many alternative fuels promote the U.S. economy because they can be produced domestically.

3. On a gallon-per-gallon basis, some alternative fuels will not permit consumers to travel as far or as long as they could in a gasoline or diesel propelled vehicle. So they have a lower energy output. At this time, an alternatively fuel vehicle also costs more than a conventional automobile.

4. Alternative fuels utilize a wide variety of materials, for example old grease that restaurants used for frying, vegetable oils, electricity, recycled paper and plant wastes are used to create fuel. These are all cleaner burning that petroleum products, and have less impact upon the environment.

The above are only a few of the facts concerning alternative fuels. Each individual type of “green fuel” has its own pluses and minuses but they all deserve investigation by those who are sincerely interested in cutting energy costs and protecting the environment. Every day, new advances are being made as research into this area grows. New sources of alternative fuels are under investigation and development. Perhaps, the answer is not just one type of alternative fuel being better than the rest, but that a group of “green” energy sources will be optimal.

The natural world is constantly changing, but many environmental changes today are being brought about by the pollution emissions of our automobiles. When we consider the global impacts of changing to alternative fuel vehicles, it becomes obvious that this is more than just an option. In the very near future, it must become an active part of our lifestyles. We owe it to the future of our planet to make changes now.



Create a video blog

Hilal Abdelwali asked:


The expansion of the alternative fuel business has exploded these days as people are looking more and more toward improving the environment and perhaps even saving some money in the process. As gas prices continue to skyrocket, gasoline companies know that they must start considering an expansion of their companies to compete in the alternative fuel race if they want to stay afloat.

Alternative fuels are simply those that are not made with any oil products. They are manufactured using products such as corn, vegetable oil, and even garbage! The expansion of the alternative fuel business has its advantages as alternative fuels burn cleaner and have less of an effect on the environment.

As people start to take notice of the issue of global warming, it sparks their interest in alternative fuels as a way to help the environment and keep our world from imploding. That is why oil companies and refineries are finding that they have to keep up with this public interest through an expansion of their alternative fuel divisions.

Another area of expansion in the alternative fuel market is with big car companies. They are starting to make more and more vehicles that are able to run on E85 fuel, ethanol, electricity, and propane. In fact, beginning in 1998, the Ford Motor Company committed 1 billion USD toward the expansion of their alternative fuel vehicle production lines.

In addition, the proliferation of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles is driving demand for new kinds of technician training. Considerable market expansion has occurred in CNG, propane, ethanol, and biodiesel, with more modest advances in battery-electric power. The expansion in this area of alternative fuel requires new training when it comes to making repairs to vehicles that run on alternative fuels.

Even gas stations are starting to find out that they also have to take part in the expansion of the market when it comes to alternative fuels. As more people start to purchase alternative fuel vehicles, they are also demanding easy accessibility to the fuels that run them. In order to meet the demand for alternative fuels, expansion of gas station facilities is nearly a requirement these days.

There is no doubt about it that the expansion of the alternative fuel market affects all kinds of people and businesses. The good news is that it is affecting them in a GOOD way! Expansion is always good for business, and when it comes to alternative fuels, it is good for the environment and the consumer as well. I say, let the expansion continue!



NICOLE

Anthony Fontanelle asked:


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.



KATHLEEN

Hilal Abdelwali asked:


Just like with any new, slightly controversial subject, there will always be pros and cons to talk about and that is no different with the new drive toward the use of alternative fuels to power our vehicles. People who support alternative fuels the pros could list a hundred ways that alternative fuel helps. On the other hands those who oppose it the cons could also list a hundred ways we should use alternative fuels.

To begin with, alternative fuel is cleaner burning than gasoline which is good for the environment definitely a pro rather than a con. As we are confronted with many environmental problems these days such as global warming, many people feel we really need to take a moment and realize that it is up to us to help stop these problems. When you use an alternative fuel in your car instead of gasoline, you are helping to stop the release of counter-productive elements into the air.

Many alternative fuel vehicles also get better fuel mileage which is another pro over con in the use of alternative fuels. Especially in hybrid vehicles, miles per gallon can be increased by more than 20 percent over a period of time! That can make a world of difference to many drivers.

There are many tax incentives that can be found when you buy and use an alternative fuel vehicle. The government knows that there are pros and cons to the use of alternative fuel, so they want to make it as attractive as possible to the consumer to make the switch. Who does not want to save money on their taxes? If you can get a tax break, it can greatly benefit you and you will be helping the Earth as well.

As for the cons of alternative fuels, while not as numerous as the pros, the problems can be a bit bigger in the general mind of the consumer. Alternative fuel vehicles are often more expensive than regular gasoline vehicles. Even though you can get a tax break for buying one of these vehicles, you can still expect to pay anywhere from 10 to 40 percent more retail price for an alternative fuel vehicle.

The availability of alternative fuels is another huge con to offset the pros. While many places now carry E85 fuel (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline), it may be difficult to find other alternative fuel types. Even the stations that do carry E85 are not as plentiful as many people would hope and they often find themselves driving out of their way just to gas up their cars.

The pros and cons of using alternative fuels can forever be debated. What side you are on depends on your commitment to our environment and what you can do to stop some of the deadly effects of the gases we release from our vehicles.



RHETT