Alternative Transport fuels

Modern modes of transport cause lots of problems. We tend to organise our lives around the idea of everyone having their own car - living miles from work, school or friends, spending more time in our cars which has an impact both on our environment and on local communities. In the last fifty years the number of cars on our roads has increased from two million to over 20 million, and this figure continues to rise.

The conventional automobile after a whole century of engineering and now the largest industry on the planet is incredibly inefficient. Of the fuel energy a normal car consumes almost 80% is lost as engine heat and exhaust so that only 20% is transferred to movement of the vehicle. Of that 20%, around 95% is used to move the car itself whilst the remaining 5% (1% of the total fuel energy used) actually moves the driver!

Look for alternative transport fuels here

Cars and lorries cause congestion, noise, local pollution, harm to health, destruction of habitats and biodiversity, and global warming - hardly the freedom that we think they offer. These problems can really only be tackled by using cars and lorries less - and instead looking at alternative means of transport such as trains, buses, trams, bicycles and of course our feet!

The argument of course is that this is difficult because there is insufficient public transport - a bit of a chicken and egg situation. While we are still so wedded to our cars, some of the problems, such as pollution and global warming, would lessen if we used alternative transport fuels.

Conventional fuels such as petrol and diesel emit, among other things; carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, benzene and particulates. New petrol cars have catalysts which clean up their emissions and though a diesel car will emit less carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide than a petrol car with a catalyst, it will emit more nitrogen oxide and particulates. Some 'cleaner' fuels like ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) have been developed, which may have lower levels of sulphur, nitrogen oxide or benzene but still contribute to global warming. It is estimated that around one in seven children has asthma and there are strong links between this and traffic pollution.

Alternative transport fuels

We could use renewable energy for transport which would cut emissions (a technical fix) but not sort out congestion, traffic jams, unsafe roads etc. Amongst possible transport fuels are biodiesel, methanol and ethanol, as well as electricity from renewable sources to power electric vehicles or create hydrogen.

Biodiesel can be made from oilseed crops such as rape and from recycled oils, including vegetable, fish and animal oils.

In diesel engines you may be able to use either straight vegetable oils, in which case you will need to modify your engine to preheat the oil, or use biodiesel, which is formed by removing the glycerine from the raw product, known as 'esterification'. Biodiesel will work in most modern diesel engines - either on its own or blended with ordinary diesel, and although you won't normally need to modify the engine though you may need to modify / check your fuel pipe. Using biodiesels or vegetable oils might make any warranty on your vehicle invalid, and of course should only be used with caution as if used incorrectly, they may damage your engine. With a bit of technical knowledge it is possible to make your own biodiesel but you need to pay duty on it.

Biodiesel can be bought in bulk - an option for local authorities, road hauliers etc. However, at the moment it isn't economic to make biodiesel from new vegetable oil (though it might be with further government support) and there are insufficient supplies of used oils reaching the manufacturers in order to be able to meet demand. If biodiesel were made from new vegetable oils, it does raise issues concerning land use and the energy required for production. It isn't really commercially available to individuals.

Ethanol can be produced form starchy or sugary feedstocks, such as sugarcane or maize, by fermentation - much as in the production of alcohol. Ethanol can be used blended with petrol and is widely used around the world - with more than 4 million vehicles in Brazil running on it.

Methanol can be produced from biomass feed stocks using a thermochemical process or from natural gas. Methanol can be used blended with petrol.

Neither ethanol or methanol are viable alternatives in the UK at the moment.

Electric Vehicles are ideal for short journeys and they range from bikes, scooters and buggies to ordinary-looking cars and vans. They are very quiet, have zero tailpipe emissions (though if you haven't switched to a green electricity supplier there will be lots of emissions associated with initial generation) and are extremely cheap to run as little as 1p a mile. They have a top speed of around 50 mph.

The drawback of electric vehicles is that the batteries have a limited range (50 miles is about average but some can have an 80 ž 100 mile range) and don't charge instantly. However if the majority of your journeys are local this shouldn't be a problem. It can take around 2 hours to charge a half full battery, or 6 ž 8 hours to charge from empty. Some fleet vehicles have interchangeable batteries, so one battery can be charged while the second one is being used. Electric vehicles with petrol / diesel backup are being developed, which will extend their range.

If you park on the street, charging may be problematic. However, as time goes on there should be more 'recharging stations' appearing both for public use and at workplaces. Westminster City Council have offered free parking and recharging for electric vehicles in their car parks, and in one London Borough (Lambeth) an electric vehicle user has a recharging post in the street with reserved parking.

Electric vehicles still aren't very widely available to the general public but can be obtained through specialist suppliers. Petrol and diesel cars can be converted to run off electricity by removing the engine, radiator, exhaust system and fuel tank and replacing them with an electric motor, batteries and control equipment. It's expensive - it can cost £5000 upwards ž and there are companies that will carry out the conversion for you, or you can get a DIY conversion kit for some cars. Government grants are available towards the cost of buying or converting some electric vehicles..

Fuel cell vehicles are still under development. Fuel cells are not a fuel in themselves but a device for converting energy from a fuel (usually hydrogen) directly into electrical energy, which can then be used to drive a motor. The options that the car manufacturers are looking at are either to store compressed hydrogen in a tank in the vehicle or to have a tank of methanol or petrol from which hydrogen is generated by an on-board 'reformer'. The hydrogen would then propel the vehicle via an electric drive-train. The benefits of the first option are that it is more efficient and would be cheaper, and also the hydrogen could be produced using renewable energy. However it requires the development of a hydrogen infrastructure so that vehicles can easily be refuelled. Although the second option may use fossil fuels, it would use them more efficiently than internal combustion engines and could use the existing infrastructure of fuel stations.

Fuel cell vehicles are not yet available, although there are some prototypes in operation including a taxi in London and a fleet of buses in Canada. Iceland has just opened the world's first hydrogen fuel station, and the major car companies are developing fuel cell cars that will hopefully be available in the next couple of years.

Gas Liquid petroleum gas (LPG)while still a fossil fuel, has lower carbon dioxide emissions than petrol and diesel, and is about half the price per litre because of the lower fuel duty imposed on it. Although a litre of LPG will take you 75% or the distance of a litre a petrol, you can go one and half times as far for the same money. Most types of vehicle can be converted to run off LPG, though it is easier to convert petrol engines than diesel. You can usually convert your car so that it will still run off either, at the flick of a switch. There are also new cars available that will run off LPG. The number of petrol stations offering LPG is increasing and there are now over 1000 refilling stations in the UK. Converting a car to run off LPG can cost up to about £1500 and again there may be grants available.

Natural Gas can also be used in vehicles but is less energy dense than LPG and so needs to be compressed or cooled to liquefy it, to enable it to be used in transport. The weight and cost of tanks and the limited number of public refuelling points makes it more suitable for commercial trucks and buses than for cars. As a fuel it is much cheaper than LPG.

Compressed Air Cars running off compressed air have been developed in France and, amongst other places, are used as taxis in Mexico City. Like electric vehicles, they produce no emissions at point of use but energy is required to compress the air great if the energy comes from renewable sources. They are not commercially available  

We have collected several files for download on liquid fuels and other subjects click here to see our list

Look for alternative transport fuels here

We have collected several files for download on liquid fuels and other subjects click here to see our list

 "The Motor Oil Bible....CLICK HERE....." (a completely electronic book now available in an "easy print" edition) contains 158 pages of extensive information about automotive lubrication and filtration and completely debunks the popular myth that 3,000 mile oil changes are a necessity.

If you are serious about protecting your vehicle's engine and value your time and money, you NEED this eBook. The fact is, the information contained within this new eBook will save you thousands of dollars and countless hours of automotive repair and maintenance ...

We have collected several files for download on liquid fuels and other subjects click here to see our list