Alternative Fuel Cars - Because Not Everything Has To Run On Gas

Some of the first cars ever made were actually electric cars that ran solely on batteries. That was over 100 years ago, and it may seem like we've made very little progress. The truth is, in the past few years, several car companies have started putting serious money into building a quality electric car.

Over a decade ago, General Motors built the EV1. It was going to be one of the first mass-produced electric cars. That car died a quiet death, thanks to low gas prices that made expensive alternative fuel cars a non-option for most car buyers and also due to collusion between General Motors and the oil companies. The death of the EV1 was made a little less quiet when the documentary "Who Killed The Electric Car" exposed the evils of the oil and automotive industries.

Now that gas prices are higher than ever in the United States, there is a renewed demand for electric cars. All of the major auto companies are currently working on electric cars that should be put into production in the next few years. The Chevy Volt should make it out first, probably around 2010.

The electric car that is shaking the auto industry to its core right now is the Tesla Roadster. It is the first production electric sports car, with performance numbers that are amazing for any production car, let alone an electric. With a retail price of about $110,000, the Tesla Roadster will do 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds and has a top speed north of 120 mph (and unlike most gasoline-powered cars, the Tesla can get there in a hurry). The Tesla Roadster will be the must-have car for the rich and famous for at least the next 5 years.

Compressed natural gas, more commonly known as CNG, has been used in a variety of mainstream cars for well over a decade, although the CNG versions are obviously quite rare. Most CNG vehicles made during the 1990's and early 2000's were ordered by government agencies or other fleets. This makes sense, since most gas stations do not offer a CNG pump. Fleets can just buy entire tanks of CNG and fill up all of their cars using it. Most CNG cars that you can find on the market today were probably once government or police vehicles.

Most CNG cars have both a CNG and a regular gasoline fueling system. Extra space is required to put the CNG tank. In trucks, this tank usually goes in the front of the truck bed.

Some of the car models that were offered with the CNG alternative fueling system include the Ford Contour, Ford F-150, Ford E-Series van, Chevy Lumina, Chevy Cavalier, Honda Civic, and Ford Crown Victoria.

The only CNG car currently in production in the United States is the Honda Civic GX. The Pickens Plan, introduced by oil magnate T. Boone Pickens, calls for the expansion of production of CNG cars.

Diesel cars have been around for a long time, but up until a couple decades ago they had one BIG problem: pollution. Although they tended to get much better mileage than gas-powered cars and diesel engines usually run for a lot longer, diesels also put out much more pollution. That problem has been solved with new regulations and technology that cuts pollution from diesel engines to a tiny fraction of what it once was, making diesel a green alternative compared to gasoline.

People have been producing diesel fuel from green sources such as plant matter and used cooking oils for a long time, but it's just recently caught on as a possibly cheaper alternative to fueling a vehicle. Biodiesel is the name given to diesel fuel that has been produced from living organisms such as plants and algae.

Some have said that this is not a "green solution" to our fuel problem because it still puts carbon into our atmosphere. I'll tell you why that thinking is wrong: carbon from biodiesel was already in the atmosphere or soil before the plant existed. It was taken from the atmosphere by the plant, the plant was converted into fuel, and the fuel was used and the carbon released back out into the atmosphere. Net long-term gain of carbon: zero. That's opposed to gasoline or other non-green fuel sources, where oil or coal that has been buried in the ground for millions of years is dug up and used as fuel, dumping carbon into the atmosphere that hasn't been there for millions of years. Long-term gain of carbon: a lot.

Most diesel vehicles can be converted to run on biodiesel with a relatively inexpensive kit. Many newer diesels are already equipped with fueling systems that can take biodiesel. Consider one of these options next time you buy a car, as you'll not only be helping the environment, but the improved mileage and possibly cheaper fuel will save you money in the long-run.

The gasoline-electric hybrid has been around in the United States in decent numbers for the better part of a decade, but only in recent months have these cars become really hot sellers as gasoline prices went through the roof. Hybrids work by using an electric motor complimented by a gasoline engine. Newer models often include a display to tell the driver when they are using the gasoline engine, which might encourage them to drive slower and accelerate more smoothly in an attempt to stay on the electric motor and save gas.

The first hybrid car that most Americans knew about was the Honda Insight. The Insight had an enclosed wheelwell on the rear for improved aerodynamics, which helped it stand out from the crowd. In recent years, the Toyota Prius has become the hybrid car of choice for American buyers. It boasts an estimated fuel efficiency of around 42 mpg, which is about 50% better than the average new car.

Hybrid vehicle models include the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Lexus RX 400H, Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid and many, many others. It seems like every week car companies are announcing new hybrid models or hybrid variants of already-existing models.