Fuel Types 101 How do we overcome our dependence on fossil fuels? Many fuel alternatives exist, but which one should we use? Learn all about current and future fuel technologies. Duration: 145 sec Date: Oct 30, 2007

All of these vehicles have engines that run on energyproduced by some sort of fuel.The current fuel slash energy types break into logical groups:oil and fossil fuel products,which includes gasoline and diesel fuel;alternative fuels includes natural gas, ethanol, E-85 and biodiesel.These two groups power combustion engines.Electric motors includes battery technology.The next growing group is hybridswhich combine an electric motor and a combustion engine.Future fuels includes fuel cells, which are still in development.The oil products are the most available.They are currently cheap, but not renewablemeaning there is an end to the supplyor it simply becomes too expensive to use.In the alternative fuel group, natural gas is a fossil fuel.It has limited availability, it's a cleaner fuelbut again it's nonrenewable.Ethanol is made from corn.It has limited availability. It's a renewable fuelbut currently there is low supply production.E-85 is a mixture of ethanol and gas.It has limited availability, it is cheap and partially renewablebut offers fewer miles per gallon and is partially fossil fuel.Both ethanol and E-85 are growing in popularity around the worldand in the U.S.Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled greases.There is limited availability, but biodiesel is renewableand can replace diesel fuel if there is higher supply production.Electric vehicles require power from the gridwhich is cheap to charge batteries.Vehicle emission is clean, and the fuel is renewableif derived from solar energy.The challenge is that electric vehicles currently have limited range.Hybrid vehicles are growing in popularityand use common gas or diesel fuel.Hybrids are efficient, offering high miles per gallon capabilitybut they still rely on gas or diesel fuel.Fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen to produce energybut fuel cells are not yet practical for cars.Endependence.info