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Alternative fuel cars are best described in terms of the particular fuels they use. Each different fuel requires a
different type of car and involves a range of positives and negatives.
Pros of Alternative Fuel Cars

Biodiesel cars. Biodiesel vehicles use a blend of petroleum diesel and vegetable oils. They produce fewer
carbon emissions and harmful particulates than standard diesel. In terms of fuel availability, while biodiesel
outlets may still show short supply nationally, drivers retain the choice of filling up with standard diesel.
Biodiesel is more energy efficient in its production than petroleum products and gives drivers better fuel
costs than regular vehicles

Ethanol cars. Ethanol-fueled vehicles run on a mixture of gasoline and a propellant derived from grain.
There are an increasing number of alternative fuel cars now being supplied for this market. The most
popular ethanol fuel blend is E85. The name reflects the proportions of 85 percent ethanol to 15 percent
gasoline used in the fuel. This makes it an emissions-friendly fuel. It also provides another potentially large
and profitable market for farmers

Hybrid cars. Hybrid cars operate using a combination of gasoline power and electric power. In addition to
the gas tank they have an electric battery that stores energy during the speeding and slowing parts of a
typical journey. The pros of this type of vehicle include the substantial saving in fuel costs through the
engine's efficiency

Hydrogen cars. As a fuel, hydrogen appears to have enormous possibilities. Its pros begin with the fact it
comes from water and is therefore a renewable fuel with inexhaustible supplies and benefits in fuel cost. The
exhaust from a hydrogen-fueled car is totally environment-friendly. Hydrogen cars also give the driver
excellent mileage compared to regular gasoline cars
Cons of Alternative Fuel Cars

Biodiesel cars. One of the major cons of biodiesel fuel is its cost, being more expensive to produce than
regular diesel. Another hazard is seen as the temptation for farmers to turn to growing biodiesel plants rather
than food crops. In addition, large-scale farm production would use vast amounts of land

Ethanol cars. The cons of ethanol-fueled cars include the fact that ethanol contains less energy than
gasoline and so delivers less on a gas mileage comparison. Some people also suggest that the emissions
from petrol-based fuels used in producing the grain exceed the ethanol's own emission benefits

Hybrid cars. The downsides of choosing this vehicle include the considerably higher prices they cost to buy.
There remains doubt about the longevity of the electricity-storing battery. As relatively new vehicles, few
have experienced the 10-years plus life that could satisfactorily answer this open question either way

Hydrogen cars. The negatives associated with using hydrogen as a vehicle fuel are rather troublesome.
Considerable problems have arisen in the practical manufacture of these cars. There are no answers to
these problems on the immediate horizon. In addition, hydrogen is a very explosive fuel. No complete
solutions have yet been found to the safe transport of this fuel to the pump for distribution
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Alternate Fuels: A Cost Breakdown
In general, most alternative fuels cost less than gasoline. However, you need to be aware how each fuel is made,
and other factors such as the cost of converting your vehicle to use the fuel. Another factor that many do not think
about is the accessibility of filling stations. There is much more to alternative fuel costs than just the price per gallon
of the fuel.

Biodiesel fuel. There are many factors that figure into the price of biodiesel. First look into the blend of
biodiesel you are using, as there are not many stations that offer B100, or 100% biodiesel. Biodiesel is
typically made from soybeans or corn. This means that there will be spikes due to availability. There are
many agricultural factors that feed into the price of biodiesel as there are growing, processing and
distribution issues to deal with. There is also an economy of scale to consider, as biodiesel is tied to the
petroleum industry. Eventually, as more producers arise, the cost of biodiesel will fall

Ethanol. Ethanol has the potential to be a very important fuel. It does not cost less than gasoline, and there
are issues with its production that need to be addressed before it is very affordable and easy to use. Ethanol
is about $3 per gallon and gasoline (before it gets to the pump) is $2.28 per gallon. Why is it expensive?
Ethanol cannot be transported along pipelines because it picks up impurities and water. Instead transport is
through trucks, barges and trains. This adds to the price. Ethanol is made from grain, and in order to
transform the grain to ethanol, you use a large amount of fossil fuels. It is argued that you burn more fossil
fuels making ethanol than you would by driving a gasoline car

Hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen fueled vehicles are very expensive to produce as the entire system is very fragile.
Hydrogen is not actually a fuel, but it carries energy. You break down water for the energy and then create
water again in a cycle. Many car manufacturers are not pursuing this avenue because of the cost. A
standard car would cost about $40,000, while its hydrogen counterpart would be about $400,000. So while
the fuel itself is an excellent idea and the cost is minimal as you use water, the main issue is that the vehicle
itself is not available

Electricity. The most cost efficient type of alternative fuel is electricity. In particular, you can power up your
vehicle during off hours when the price is lower. To be environmentally friendly, you need a power company
that uses renewable energy, or have some sort of renewable energy available to provide electricity for your
vehicle. Of all possible alternative fuels, this is the most economical
Alternate Fuel Myths and Facts
There are many myths associated with using alternative fuel. However you need to be aware of the facts and what
is true and what is not. Correct information is needed to make an informed decision when interested in purchasing
alternate fuel cars. There are many different alternate fuel sources and you will need a specific type of engine for
each type of fuel.

Alternative fuel is less expensive. In general, when looking at a per gallon price, alternative fuels are less
expensive. However, what can change this is the availability of the fuel. If you have to drive 100 miles to fill
up, then this is not economical. You will find that you may be paying even more than ever on fuel because
you have to drive extra to fill up. Certain alternative fuels are convenient and economical. It depends on the
fuel

Alternative fuel eliminates dependence on oil. Many individuals think that by changing to alternative
fuels, the country will have less of a dependency on oil. This is not true, as petroleum is one of the most
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used products in all industries. It is found in plastics and even lipstick. Anything that contains petroleum will
still be influenced by the oil market

Alternative fuel yields lower vehicle performance. You can still get excellent performance from a vehicle
that uses alternative fuels. Many of the top sports car and high performance car manufacturers have
developed or are in the process of developing models that do not compromise on the performance when
using an alternative fuel. Currently the best performance vehicles are those with a gas and alternative
engine, though with technology advances these high performance alternative fuel vehicles are just around
the corner

Electric cars eliminate chemical fuels. Electric cars are more environmentally friendly if you just look at
car emissions. However, it completely depends on where you get your electricity. If your power comes from
a plant that burns coal for power then it is not a green car. However if your car is hooked up to a system that
uses solar or wind power, then the car is 100% environmentally friendly

Alternative fuel eliminates air pollution. Actually alternative fuels do not necessarily fix air pollution.
Alternative fuel cars still emit chemicals, they are just different from greenhouse gases. Additionally, many
times the process of creating the alternative fuel creates many emissions itself. A good example being
ethanol. A large amount of fossil fuels are burned to convert grain into ethanol, even though ethanol is
considered a friendly and green fuel. The only true clean fuels are hydrogen and electricity. In this, we are
talking about electricity from renewable sources. Hydrogen-fueled cars do not produce any pollution, but the
hydrogen fuel cell is still in development. The hydrogen cell is actually considered the technology of the
future and car manufacturers are still developing this technology for vehicles.
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Example of a position of no, there should be no tax credit for alternative fuel vehicles….
Should governments give tax credits for alternative fuel vehicles?
Should governments give tax credits for alternative fuel vehicles? The answer is a simple no. According to most
research, the environmental effects and the costs of production do not justify using alternative fuels as a
replacement for fossil fuels. Furthermore, the cost of an alternative fuel vehicle is beyond what most can afford.
Alternative fuels have come a long way since the debate for their production began at the turn of the 21st
century. Ethanol is currently the most popular topic in the alternative fuel industry with National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Denmark based Novozymes creating a conversion process that has reduced
production cost to less than .30 cents per gallon from a turn of the century 5 US dollars per gallon. This means
in a cost per barrel comparison with oil that ethanol would be approximately 84% cheaper to produce. Who
wouldn't like saving that kind of money?
However, the use of Ethanol as a replacement for oil consumption is rather uncertain. Liz Marshall, an
economist with the World Resources Institute in Washington D.C. stated, "We end up seeing disproportionate
increases in the amount of fertilizer applied, and disproportionate increases in the amount of nitrogen runoff.
And we see increases in soil erosion because land is managed more intensively"
(http://www.earthsky.org/article/50924/l iz-marshall-interview). In this case, ethanol production may end up
being more harmful to the environment and more costly down the road.
Electric vehicles look to be an efficient alternative on the surface, but it has been proven many times over that
an increase in demand on electricity means higher electric bills, more wind farms, and more coal burning
generator plants. Needless to say, neither the economy nor the environment stands a chance of improvement
under these conditions.
Then there is hydrogen fuel cell technology that seems to have potential, but little coverage over the past few
years. At one time President Bush was all about hydrogen fuel, but to here talk coming out of Washington
lately, one would think it never existed. What happened? Anyone's guess is as good as mine, but it seems that
hydrogen fuel cells could have just as many setbacks as other technologies. One of those set backs, I am willing
to say, is current water shortages in California and the Southwest. Imagine the impact on our water supply
should we consume hydrogen like we consume gasoline. Not good! To find out more about the positive side of
hydrogen energy, log onto http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/hydrogen-fuel/, or about its
setbacks at http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=7586.
Adding to environmental concerns are the cost factors involved in obtaining an alternative fueled vehicle. The
average price of any alternative fuel car runs around 30k. Today's average working class citizen cannot afford
the common 4-door sedan, much less a 30k hybrid. The only people that would benefit from a tax incentive on
alternative fuel vehicles would be the wealthy, while the working class and the poor would be stuck with a
steadily rising gas bill. No one said life is fair, but come on, give the working man a break.
The bottom line is, give up the car and walk or bike to work. This may be a problem for people who live a long
way from where they work, or if the infrastructure does not support pedestrian or cycling traffic. So, maybe
governments should do more to support adjustments in the infrastructure to allow people to use their own
energy for transportation. It costs almost nothing, is great for the environment, and people would be healthier
and happier which would result in lower healthcare costs. A tax incentive for alternative fuel vehicles is not an
option.
-Jeff Fuller (Helium.com)
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