With gas prices constantly going up, the interest in alternative fuels is skyrocketing as well. And prices are not the only driving force behind the research; we’ve come to realize the degree of the environmental damage cause by pollution. While alternative fuel research has been going on for decades, recent advances suggest that we may be coming closer to replacing gasoline altogether.
There are several alternative fuels that have been and are being actively integrated into our daily lives: hydrogen, ethanol, biodiesel, propane and natural gas. Certain fuels, such as hydrogen, are especially attractive since they produce practically no emissions. We have been using ethanol for years, but recent new discoveries have been made even in this popular alternative fuel. Cellulose, corn and starch are the most common sources of ethanol. Recently, the study on sorghum grass (already used for ethanol production as well) has concluded that it may be the most efficient way to derive ethanol.

We have come far from the time the first hybrid vehicle was put on the road, and now many new alternative fuels are emerging. Gas-to-liquids, coal-to-liquids, biomass-to-liquids and p-series are among the fuels that are currently under development. Other interesting alternatives include biogas, Biobutanol and ultra-low sulfur diesel.
Every day, new, more efficient catalysts for biofuel production are discovered, along with new materials and derivatives, purification methods and delivery methods. These developments are encouraging. Whether we are able to fully or only partially replace gas in the near future, any improvement will benefit the quality of our air and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

What’s important now is to draw the public interest to the issue of alternative fuels and encourage individuals to purchase vehicles that are designed to run on them. The U.S. Government supports the alternative fuel initiative by offering research grants, tax credits and other incentives for development and use of lower emission fuels.