What are the alternative fuel options? 

Internal combustion engines powered by gasoline have served the needs of drivers and passengers for nearly 150 years. However, this fuel type is based on non-renewable resources and is an air pollutant contributing to smog and climate change in Orange County, CASoCal, and beyond. Fortunately, vehicles powered by the following less damaging alternative fuels are available now and into the future from the dealers of the Beach Boulevard of Cars in Huntington Beach.

Electricity

The most popular alternative fuel at the moment is electricity, which can power all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. This power source produces no emissions, is cheaper to use than fossil fuels when charging batteries, and has lower maintenance costs because electric motors have fewer moving parts. It can also be more convenient, particularly when plugging into home outlets or public charging stations at supermarkets and shopping malls.

The disadvantages of electric vehicles compared to conventional cars are the cost, which is currently more expensive, although their growing popularity and government incentives help bring down the price. The driving range is also more limited, and charging the battery takes longer than filling up a gas tank.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is created from renewable animal fat, vegetable oils, or recycled cooking oil and can be used in biodiesel and conventional diesel vehicles. While this fuel source produces tailpipe emissions, the pollutants and greenhouse gasesgasses are reduced. This source of fuel can be more expensive and is only available in some places.

Ethanol

Ethanol comes from renewable grains like corn, barley, and sugar cane, with more advanced versions coming from manure, agricultural and forest waste, and municipal solid waste. E10, which blends 10% ethanol with 90% gasoline, is the most common, while E85, or flex fuel, mixes 51 to 83 percent ethanol and can be utilized in flex-fuel vehicles that can also still run on gasoline.

This type of fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates domestic jobs in rural areas because the biggest producer around the world is the USA.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen, a clean energy source that is abundant in the environment. It stores up to three times more energy than gasoline and produces only water vapor as a byproduct with no greenhouse gasesgasses. However, this fuel is expensive and hard to find in rare hydrogen fuel stations, challenging to store and move, and can be explosive because it is highly flammable.

Natural Gas

Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) are comparable to gasoline or diesel vehicles in terms of power, speed, and acceleration, but their emissions of greenhouse gasesgasses are lower, and the fuel source is renewable. However, NGVs have a lower driving range because they store less energy in an equivalent-sized tank but can add more tanks to increase range. The world’s largest natural gas supplier is the USA, which makes it readily available and free from international issues.

Propane

Propane, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), or autogas, produces up to 99 percent particle emissions compared to gasoline and diesel, offering the same driving range as conventional cars. It performs well in cold climates because the fuel mixture of air and propane remains a gas until it enters the combustion chamber.

The cost of the fuel is usually lower than that of gasoline, which offers a quick return when buying propane-powered vehicles, which are typically more expensive than gas-powered cars. However, stations dispensing propane for vehicles are difficult to find.

Other methods are on the horizon, so stay tuned for updates here at Beach Boulevard of Cars.