xcel
09-11-2006, 03:47 PM
Dollar for dollar, none of the alternatives to a gasoline-powered car or truck make economic or practical good sense at this point. (http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/auto/20060522a1.asp)
Terry Jackson - Bankrate.com - May 22, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Honda_Civic_GX_-_NGV.jpg
Could a NGV like this 2007 Honda Civic GX be in your drive someday?
It would be hard to find someone who wouldn't support the idea of cutting back U.S. dependence on imported oil.
Vehicles that run on alternative fuels, such as E85, the mix of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol, are currently generating a lot of discussion.
But is it a matter of "cents" versus nonsense?
Pros and cons
Whether talking about hybrid gas-electric vehicles, all-electric vehicles, or cars and trucks that run on such fuels as diesel, biodiesel, E85, methanol, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas and even hydrogen, the real-world economics rarely trump a standard gasoline-powered vehicle.
Buyers of alternative-fuel vehicles can feel good about helping the environment, about encouraging technological development or even feeding their need to own something that's cutting edge.
But, dollar for dollar, none of the alternatives to a gasoline-powered car or truck make economic or practical good sense at this point.
To see how they stack up, here's a look at the pros and cons of alternative fuels:
1. Gas-electric hybrids
These vehicles are powered by internal combustion engines running on either gasoline or diesel fuel and by electric motors powered by batteries.
Pros:
They get better fuel mileage than conventional gas-only vehicles and in some cases have fewer tailpipe emissions.
Depending on what model you buy, there are tax incentives available, as well as carpool-lane privileges.
Cons:
The increase in fuel mileage often isn't as great as advertised, and it can take as much as 120,000 miles of driving before the fuel-cost savings overcome the added cost of a hybrid over a similar gas-only model.
The costs to replace the battery packs in a high-mileage hybrid could be very expensive.
2. Electric-only vehicles
These vehicles run on battery power only - up to about 100 miles per charge traveling at highway speeds.
Pros:
A big one: Zero tailpipe emissions.
They can be recharged at home.
Cons:
The distance they can travel before needing to be recharged is extremely limited.
After a few such cars were made years ago, major manufacturers abandoned them as not practical.
The life of the battery packs remains uncertain.
3. Diesel
These vehicles run on diesel fuel that, like gasoline, is a petroleum derivative produced in the refining process.
Pros:
Depending on market conditions, diesel fuel can cost less per gallon than gasoline.
Diesel-powered vehicles generally get higher fuel mileage than gasoline vehicles.
Diesels tend to go longer between major overhauls.
Cons:
Because of some tailpipe-emission problems, most diesel passenger cars aren't available in California and the Northeast region.
Only a few manufacturers - Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Jeep - offer diesel passenger cars in the U.S.
Diesel fuel is not always available.
4. Biodiesel fuel
These vehicles run on this clean-burning fuel made from renewable resources, such as soybean oil, blended with petroleum diesel.
Pros:
Cleaner-burning than petroleum-based diesel fuel.
It's made essentially from vegetable oil, so it's a renewable resource and biodegradable.
It can run in almost any diesel engine.
Cons:
It's not widely available.
It costs significantly more than regular diesel fuel.
5. E85 ethanol fuel
Some vehicles run on this clean-burning fuel made usually from corn and blended with gasoline.
Pros:
It's a blend of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol, an alcohol-based fuel that, in the U.S., is made from corn.
It burns cleaner than straight gasoline and requires less oil to make.
Cons:
It contains only about 72 percent of the energy of regular gasoline, so you get fewer miles per gallon.
It costs about the same as straight gasoline.
It is available only at 620 stations, mostly in the Midwest.
It's not available to the public in some states, such as New York, Florida, Texas, and the Northeastern states, but may be in the future. Only one station sells it to the public in California.
6. M85 methanol fuel
Most methanol fuel in this country is sold as a blend of 85 percent methanol with 15 percent unleaded premium gasoline.
Pros:
It is similar to E85 ethanol. M85 methanol can be used in the same vehicles that will also run on E85.
M85 is made from natural gas or coal, the most abundant form of energy in the U.S.; it can reduce reliance on oil imports.
It has historically been used at the Indianapolis 500.
Cons:
Costs per gallon are higher than with gasoline or E85 ethanol fuels.
Vehicles get fewer miles per gallon on methanol.
Methanol is less widely available than E85 ethanol.
7. Compressed natural gas, or CNG
This fuel is just like the natural gas you use to cook or heat your home but compressed into high-pressure fuel cylinders.
Pros:
Made largely from methane, it's not derived from oil.
It burns cleaner than gasoline.
Home refueling from your natural gas line is possible.
Your current car can be converted to run on CNG, but at a significant cost.
Cons:
Few manufacturers make vehicles that will run on it.
The Honda Civic GX, which does run on CNG, costs about $3,500 more than a comparable gas-only Civic.
Refueling stations not widely available, and home refueling can take hours.
Fuel mileage is less than with gasoline.
8. Liquified natural gas, or LNG
This fuel is natural gas turned into a liquid by refrigerating it to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pros:
LNG is made from natural gas, and like CNG, it burns cleaner than gasoline.
Propane refueling stations, while not nearly as prevalent as gas stations, are available in many areas.
Your current car can be converted to run on LNG, but it's costly.
Cons:
Few manufacturers make vehicles that run on it.
Unlike CNG, an LNG car can't be refueled from the home gas line.
Fuel mileage is less than with gasoline.
9. Hydrogen
Earth's most common element, hydrogen (or hydrogen-rich fuel) can be used - along with oxygen - in a device called a "fuel cell" to create electricity.
Pros:
It's the ultimate clean fuel, producing only water vapor.
It can be made from a wide variety of natural elements.
It can be used to make electricity to run cars through a fuel cell, or fuel an internal combustion engine.
Manufacturers say it's the fuel of the future.
Cons:
Except for some experimental vehicles and some hobbyist applications, there are no vehicles yet available that run on hydrogen.
There are potential problems with delivery of the fuel.
It may take more energy to produce hydrogen than gasoline.
Costs and eventual fuel mileage are unknown.
Terry Jackson - Bankrate.com - May 22, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Honda_Civic_GX_-_NGV.jpg
Could a NGV like this 2007 Honda Civic GX be in your drive someday?
It would be hard to find someone who wouldn't support the idea of cutting back U.S. dependence on imported oil.
Vehicles that run on alternative fuels, such as E85, the mix of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol, are currently generating a lot of discussion.
But is it a matter of "cents" versus nonsense?
Pros and cons
Whether talking about hybrid gas-electric vehicles, all-electric vehicles, or cars and trucks that run on such fuels as diesel, biodiesel, E85, methanol, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas and even hydrogen, the real-world economics rarely trump a standard gasoline-powered vehicle.
Buyers of alternative-fuel vehicles can feel good about helping the environment, about encouraging technological development or even feeding their need to own something that's cutting edge.
But, dollar for dollar, none of the alternatives to a gasoline-powered car or truck make economic or practical good sense at this point.
To see how they stack up, here's a look at the pros and cons of alternative fuels:
1. Gas-electric hybrids
These vehicles are powered by internal combustion engines running on either gasoline or diesel fuel and by electric motors powered by batteries.
Pros:
They get better fuel mileage than conventional gas-only vehicles and in some cases have fewer tailpipe emissions.
Depending on what model you buy, there are tax incentives available, as well as carpool-lane privileges.
Cons:
The increase in fuel mileage often isn't as great as advertised, and it can take as much as 120,000 miles of driving before the fuel-cost savings overcome the added cost of a hybrid over a similar gas-only model.
The costs to replace the battery packs in a high-mileage hybrid could be very expensive.
2. Electric-only vehicles
These vehicles run on battery power only - up to about 100 miles per charge traveling at highway speeds.
Pros:
A big one: Zero tailpipe emissions.
They can be recharged at home.
Cons:
The distance they can travel before needing to be recharged is extremely limited.
After a few such cars were made years ago, major manufacturers abandoned them as not practical.
The life of the battery packs remains uncertain.
3. Diesel
These vehicles run on diesel fuel that, like gasoline, is a petroleum derivative produced in the refining process.
Pros:
Depending on market conditions, diesel fuel can cost less per gallon than gasoline.
Diesel-powered vehicles generally get higher fuel mileage than gasoline vehicles.
Diesels tend to go longer between major overhauls.
Cons:
Because of some tailpipe-emission problems, most diesel passenger cars aren't available in California and the Northeast region.
Only a few manufacturers - Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Jeep - offer diesel passenger cars in the U.S.
Diesel fuel is not always available.
4. Biodiesel fuel
These vehicles run on this clean-burning fuel made from renewable resources, such as soybean oil, blended with petroleum diesel.
Pros:
Cleaner-burning than petroleum-based diesel fuel.
It's made essentially from vegetable oil, so it's a renewable resource and biodegradable.
It can run in almost any diesel engine.
Cons:
It's not widely available.
It costs significantly more than regular diesel fuel.
5. E85 ethanol fuel
Some vehicles run on this clean-burning fuel made usually from corn and blended with gasoline.
Pros:
It's a blend of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol, an alcohol-based fuel that, in the U.S., is made from corn.
It burns cleaner than straight gasoline and requires less oil to make.
Cons:
It contains only about 72 percent of the energy of regular gasoline, so you get fewer miles per gallon.
It costs about the same as straight gasoline.
It is available only at 620 stations, mostly in the Midwest.
It's not available to the public in some states, such as New York, Florida, Texas, and the Northeastern states, but may be in the future. Only one station sells it to the public in California.
6. M85 methanol fuel
Most methanol fuel in this country is sold as a blend of 85 percent methanol with 15 percent unleaded premium gasoline.
Pros:
It is similar to E85 ethanol. M85 methanol can be used in the same vehicles that will also run on E85.
M85 is made from natural gas or coal, the most abundant form of energy in the U.S.; it can reduce reliance on oil imports.
It has historically been used at the Indianapolis 500.
Cons:
Costs per gallon are higher than with gasoline or E85 ethanol fuels.
Vehicles get fewer miles per gallon on methanol.
Methanol is less widely available than E85 ethanol.
7. Compressed natural gas, or CNG
This fuel is just like the natural gas you use to cook or heat your home but compressed into high-pressure fuel cylinders.
Pros:
Made largely from methane, it's not derived from oil.
It burns cleaner than gasoline.
Home refueling from your natural gas line is possible.
Your current car can be converted to run on CNG, but at a significant cost.
Cons:
Few manufacturers make vehicles that will run on it.
The Honda Civic GX, which does run on CNG, costs about $3,500 more than a comparable gas-only Civic.
Refueling stations not widely available, and home refueling can take hours.
Fuel mileage is less than with gasoline.
8. Liquified natural gas, or LNG
This fuel is natural gas turned into a liquid by refrigerating it to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pros:
LNG is made from natural gas, and like CNG, it burns cleaner than gasoline.
Propane refueling stations, while not nearly as prevalent as gas stations, are available in many areas.
Your current car can be converted to run on LNG, but it's costly.
Cons:
Few manufacturers make vehicles that run on it.
Unlike CNG, an LNG car can't be refueled from the home gas line.
Fuel mileage is less than with gasoline.
9. Hydrogen
Earth's most common element, hydrogen (or hydrogen-rich fuel) can be used - along with oxygen - in a device called a "fuel cell" to create electricity.
Pros:
It's the ultimate clean fuel, producing only water vapor.
It can be made from a wide variety of natural elements.
It can be used to make electricity to run cars through a fuel cell, or fuel an internal combustion engine.
Manufacturers say it's the fuel of the future.
Cons:
Except for some experimental vehicles and some hobbyist applications, there are no vehicles yet available that run on hydrogen.
There are potential problems with delivery of the fuel.
It may take more energy to produce hydrogen than gasoline.
Costs and eventual fuel mileage are unknown.