Alternative Transportation Fuel Research and Development Key Terms

Know alternative transportation fuel research and development key terms to keep up with new fuel solutions

Rising gas prices, concern about relying on imported goods and fear of gas shortages are only a few of the catalysts behind the recent interest in alternative transportation fuels. Explore the possibilities beyond petroleum fuel with alternative transportation fuel research and development key terms. As research continues, becoming familiar with these terms is only the beginning of the future possibilities of alternative fuel.

 

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a type of fuel made from plants instead of petroleum that can be used in diesel engines. Biodiesel is made from either ethanol or methanol.
Try: Delve deeper into the specifics of biodiesel at AutoblogGreen. See new developments on biodiesel and its intricacies at Deere & Company.

Ethanol

Ethanol is made from fermented agricultural crops, creating an alcohol-based alternative fuel. Current developments have ethanol being used as a transition fuel, mixed with gasoline to reduce dependence on imported gas.
Try: Visit the American Coalition for Ethanol for information on ethanol and its current use in the fuel market. Go to EnergyRefuge.com for the pros and cons of ethanol.

E85

E85 is an environmentally-friendly fuel blend comprised of 85% ethanol and 15% petroleum gas. Further research and development hopes to lead to a 100% ethanol gas.
Try: The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition talks about E85 and the effects of its emergence into the alternative fuel arena.

Fuel cell vehicle

Alternative transportation fuel research has led to the creation of a fuel cell vehicle that uses hydrogen instead of gas to run the engine. Its only exhaust being hydrogen, the fuel cell vehicle provides a fairly clean driving option for those concerned about emission gases and the environment.
Try: Discover more about fuel cell vehicles at the U.S. Department of Energy. Several visuals are available at HowStuffWorks on fuel cells and fuel cell vehicles.

Methanol

Methanol is an alcohol-based fuel, similar to ethanol, except that it is made from biomass or wood.
Try: Uncle Mark's Alternative Fueling Station has more information about methanol. The Methanol Institute offers the latest research on methanol and its correlation with fuel cell vehicle development.

Octane

Octane is a number assigned to a fuel that shows the resistance of the fuel to combustion. If an octane rating is too low for a vehicle, the engine will knock.
Try: Go to Total Motorcycle to learn about fuel octane numbers. To see octane numbers for various fuels, see the octane chart at Refining Online.

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