A few days ago Daniel touched on the subject that gas prices were getting out of hand, and that apps such as GasBuddy and GasBook can only do so much to saving you a few cents. This is all very good, but what we need is either big savings or a new fuel source now that gas prices are out of control — but what are our alternatives?
We know that the holly grail of cleaner and cheaper fuel will come from fuel cell technology, but we recently discussed that this might not see the light in production cars until 2015, which some believe is too late. We know that gasoline is running out, but we have to wonder how high the price will go before that day comes? We hear so often how angry U.S. drivers are with how much they have to pay at the pump, but they need to take a reality check and visit the UK some time.
There are already a few alternatives on the market, but just how practical are they? First up with have Ethanol, which is alcohol-based. You will be shocked to learn that this has been produced from fermenting corn, and has a mixture of 85 percent Ethanol and 15 percent gas. So it still needs gas, but not as much as your Toyota Prius.
Next up is Biodiesel and is made from a combination of soybeans or recycled vegetable oil, what makes this even better is that it does not produce any harmful gases. However, price is still an issue, as it is not in the mainstream.
The best and current alternative has to be the electric vehicle. These vehicles have zero emissions, but the technology still has a way to go. There are only two great EVs that come to mind, the Nissan Leaf (which has just scored high in crash tests) and the Tesla range of cars. However, these are still not practical for two reasons, the price of the vehicles themselves and their range — which are still very low.
So it seems that we do have a few choices, but we need something that has good range and practical to use — meaning easy to get hold off.
What gas alternative do you use?
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