Petroleum
extraction is one of the major industries in the world. Big countries that
currently produce lots of petroleum include Saudi Arabia, United States, and Russia.
This is because automobiles are so popular with lots of people. The downside to
this is high demand raises the price of gasoline over time. Gasoline also creates
pollution as it is extracted and burned. Vehicle fuels of the future are notable
because they have a smaller environmental impact. However, every new vehicle
fuel has a downside. There is no such thing as a fuel that does not have a
challenge. Petroleum remains popular because the infrastructure and industry
for it are already set up.
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a
fuel that is extracted from plants. It is often made using
vegetable oil. Some people make it from animal fats. Biodiesel is a little bit
cleaner than normal diesel because it does not release as much carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.
Carbon monoxide is a very poisonous gas when inhaled by creatures. Biodiesel is
not really clean. It has other waste gases like nitrous oxide that diesel does
not.
Ethanol
Ethanol is very
popular mixed in with normal gasoline in the United States. It is often made
from corn. The nice thing about ethanol is it comes from a renewable resource.
A renewable resource is one that grows. The use of ethanol helps to minimize
pollution and adds profit to the corn farming industry. Brazilian vehicles
often run entirely on Ethanol.
A problem with
both ethanol and biodiesel is it requires a huge amount of farmland to produce
enough plants to turn into fuel. This uses up valuable farmland when many people are starving.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a
very light gas. It burns rapidly when mixed with oxygen. The end product of
oxygen and hydrogen burning together is water. Hydrogen takes up a lot of
space, which is a downside to storing it in a fuel tank on a car. The great
thing about hydrogen is its clean end product after combustion. Water can be
used for drinking, and it does not harm the environment. The Toyota Mirai is a
modern example of a hydrogen fuel cell car. The cnet roadshow emphasizes how
hydrogen is expensive and hard to store, which explains why most cars are not
powered by it.
Electricity
Electricity has
become more common as a vehicle fuel. Electricity cars include hybrid motors
and battery pack cars. A hybrid combines an electric motor or battery with a
normal combustion engine. A battery pack car like the Tesla S has to be
recharged frequently. The size of batteries has improved recently,
allowing practical electric cars to become viable. Electric cars are quiet and
they have rapid acceleration. Electric car travel ranges are lower than normal
gasoline cars. It is good to remember with electric cars that electricity often
comes from coal power plants. The pollution released by the source of the
electric power makes the electricity not as environmentally friendly.
Conclusion
A lot of people
today are concerned about the environment. They want the pollution caused by
vehicles to go down. The type of fuel that the cars of tomorrow use will change
how much pollution is released annually into the atmosphere. It is already
possible to buy cars that run on alternative types of fuels. The most common
trend recently has been buying electric or hybrid cars. Deciding whether to buy
a normal petroleum fuel car or an alternative energy car is an important
decision. Keeping in mind the disadvantages of alternative energy vehicles can
keep the buyer from making a poor decision.
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