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Ethanol
- FlexiFuel Vehicles
Ethanol,
also known as grain alcohol is produced
from plants, usually sugar cane.
The fuel has a high octane rating which
in turn means increased engine
efficiency. Ethanol is widely used
globally as a fuel and is increasing in
popularity in Europe. A number of
manufactures have developed flexi-fuel
vehicles (FFVs) currently available on
from Ford, Saab and shortly Volvo cars.
Flexi-Fuel
vehicles can run on a blend of ethanol
and petrol, usually up to E85 (85%
Ethanol, 15% Petrol) which is the most
common blend in the UK or just petrol.
This gives drivers flexibility as the
current ethanol filling station in the
UK is limited.
Bioethanol
is green as it has the potential to be
carbon-neutral, that is to say all the
carbon dioxide emitted during use of the
fuel when emitted from the vehicle is
balanced by the absorption from the
atmosphere during the fuel crop’s
growth.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a
natural hydrocarbon fuel made up of
propane and butane. LPG produces
far less carbon dioxide than petrol and
fewer particulates and nitrogen oxides
than diesel. It can be used within
a modified internal combustion engine
after conversions which cost around
£1,500-£2,000. A conversion
includes the installation of a second
fuel tank for the LPG which means the
vehicle can switch between petrol or
LPG.
LPG has
the special property of becoming liquid
when under pressure, and reverting to
gases at atmospheric pressure. This
means it can be easily and conveniently
stored as a liquid. About 60% of
the world supply of LPG comes from the
separation of natural gas products, and
40% is a by-product from the refining of
crude oil. In the past, LPG has been
considered as waste and flared off; now
it is recognised as a major energy
source and currently offered by about
10% of refuelling stations.
Compressed
Natural Gas - CNG
Compressed
Natural Gas is a fossil fuel sourced
from reserves deep under the Earth's
surface. It has lower CO2 emissions
compared to petrol/diesel but is still a
greenhouse gas. Similarly
to LPG it requires a conversion so that
the car can be switched between gas and
petrol. The gas is compressed in a
cylinder rather than being stored as a
liquid form. The gas mixes well
with air prior to combustion and has a
high octane rating and therefore is fuel
efficient. CNG is
popular worldwide and increasing in
popularity in the UK. There are a
number of aftermarket conversions
available and options also available
from the factory from manufacturers such
as Volvo.
BioDiesel
Biodiesel is produced from renewable
energy sources such as rapeseed,
sunflower or soybean oil.
Biodiesel is green as it has the
potential to be carbon-neutral, that is
to say all the carbon dioxide emitted
during use of the fuel when emitted from
the vehicle is balanced by the
absorption from the atmosphere during
the fuel crop’s growth.
Biodiesel
in some instances can be a direct
replacement for diesel, however most
manufacturers remain cautious about
engine wear and recommend a blend of
between 5% to 30% biodiesel although
some modern engines are capable of
running on 100% biodiesel.
Fuel
Cell
Please
visit our
Fuel Cell page for full details
including the latest hydrogen test
vehicles.
Fuel cells are electrochemical energy
conversion devices which produce energy
from an electro-chemical reaction.
Electricity can constantly be produce as
long as the flow of reactants is
available. The technology is still
being developed and is current
expensive. One problem is that
hydrogen can still not be produced
efficiently to make viable as an
alternative fuel just yet.
Many
manufacturers have already demonstrated
fuel cell vehicles and there are a
handful currently in use providing
important information and feedback for
the future development of fuel cell
cars.
For full details about Alternative Fuel cars, please visit our
Green Car Fuels Page.
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