Alternative Fuel Cars

Looking into alternative fuel cars? It is interesting to see how all of a sudden the term “Hybrid” has made its way into every day life. It was not too long ago that it was a dirty word among car manufacturers.

DIY Alternative Fuel Cars

Alternative fuel cars can be costly for auto manufacturers and if they stop making gas powered vehicles all together they shoot themselves in the foot as oil companies line their pockets with a bit of green power (and I don’t mean Ethanol).

If you're handy and have some mechanical know-how, you can end up saving a boat-load on fuel. You can find decent plans online for using biodiesel conversion, cng conversion, propane conversion, electric car conversion and more. There is some debate over whether or not it is safe or worthwhile monetarily to begin converting our vehicles to hybrids. One possible pitfall of alternative fuel cars is the cost involved in doing it. You can get kits to do it yourself - some cost upwards of $5000, others, like the one below are much more affordable.

If your goal is to save cash, some conversions, such as cng conversion may cost more than they are worth. Also important with alternative fuel cars: your car has to be the correct kind of engine! You can't run biodiesel in a gas engine. But you can use hydrogen via electrolysis as a gasoline supplement to improve gas mileage, and many people are performing electric car conversions, as well.

Ethanol - Boom or Bust?

The alternative fuels cars boom is growing leaps and bounds. Nearly overnight Ethanol is becoming synonymous with eco-friendly fuels. It is made from corn – yes. That is about as eco-friendly as it gets. Ethanol is safe to use in most vehicles newer then the mid-90’s and only at around 10% ethanol added to normal gasoline. The only reason ethanol is being added to gasoline is to stretch the gasoline supply and to make more money – ethanol is cheaper than gas but we are still paying upwards of $4 a gallon. Ethanol, as far as alternative fuel cars goes, is government subsidized. We pay them for the right to pay for gas. It also is not clean-burning making the only thing green about it is the fact it is made out of corn. And there are other issues with regards to corn being grown for fuel rather than fuel...especially in third world countries, where growing corn for fuel is driving up the cost of corn for people. And, if you're at all concerned about the environment and wonder what this photo is about - it's the Amazon - by the way.

Best Hybrid Cars

To others, the best alternative fuel cars mean purchasing a new hybrid vehicle that is factory made or a straight electric car. Pitfalls arise though when you need to charge it up as most 100% electric cars are not solar but come with a plug to charge it up. Without plug-in stations (as opposed to gas stations) along the roadways, their range can be quite limited. Therefore, finding batteries that can travel long distances is one issue. And if you live in an apartment, where will you charge it? Automobile makers are developing ones that recharge themselves as they run. But with a recurring energy supply – high cost is a factor. The top new hybrid models as of this writing are: Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, Lexus RX 400h, Lexus GS 450h and the Saturn Vue Green Line.

Buying a hybrid vehicle is great for the environment, as emmission and smog are decreased, and great for you as well because you can feel like you are actually doing something to conserve the planet. With alternative fuel cars we will all be better off, with cleaner air to breathe and less reliance on foreign oil sources. For more information on how you can convert your vehicle into a water for gas hybrid click the links below.

Are you tired of Paying Too Much for Fuel?