The Anti-Gasoline Movement: Powering Your Car With Alternative Fuels

Here are a few options that are available, but beware because converting your car to these sources can be costly.

1. Ethanol
Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel. While ethanol was once considered inefficient because of the cost of converting corn into usable fuel, new advancements in technology now allows people to convert waste from breweries, wineries, soda manufacturers and candy companies into pure ethanol. The device is called an E-Fuel MicroFueler and can convert old wine and beer into fuel for your car. The downside? The device costs $10,000 and the fuel will cost $2 a gallon, but buyers are eligible for a $5,000 tax credit.

2. Biodiesel
Biodiesel is manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats and recycled restaurant grease. Environmentalists have praised biodiesel because it is biodegradable and produces less air pollutants than petroleum-based diesel. However, before you begin filling up your diesel-powered car with Crisco, you will need to convert your engine, which can be pretty pricey.

3. Natural Gas
Natural gas is one of the cleanest burning alternative fuels. Although natural gas vehicles have been around since the 1930s, they are not produced commercially in large numbers, however, conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles can be converted for around $5,000. Currently there are around 30,000 natural gas vehicles in the United States and about a million in the world.

4. Propane
Propane powered vehicles have been around for nearly 60 years and many taxis, buses and other high-mileage vehicles are powered by propane. Although no new passenger cars or trucks powered by propane are commercially produced, there are over 10,000 propane filling stations throughout the United States and Canada.

5. Hydrogen
A few years ago there was a lot of buzz about hydrogen fuel because it has the potential to dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil and produces no air pollutants or greenhouse gases. The one downside? Hydrogen is expensive to produce and fuel cell vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel are far too expensive for the average consumer to afford.

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