Alternative Fuel for Gas Engines

Contrary to what some people may assume that a car either runs on gas or an alternative fuel, there are actually a few possibilities to use an alternative fuel for gas engines.The most common case of alternative fuel for gas engines is the flex fuel vehicle which runs on an ethanol and gas blend. Ethanol fuel can be combined with gasoline at different percentages, or can be used in its pure form as E100. Not every vehicle can run on 100% ethanol, but most run on small percentages of ethanol blends which are common at most gas stations.

LPG is another popular alternative fuel for gas engines and is supported by major car manufacturers including Ford, Toyota, Volvo, Volkswagen and Hyundai. It is often referred to as auto-gas or auto propane. LPG is a fossil fuel and does emit harmful gases as well, but it burns more cleanly than petroleum and does not emit particulates.

Another less known alternative fuel for gas engines is methanol, which can be used in combination with gas or on its own (�neat�). It is popular with racing cars and in China, and can be made from fossil fuel or renewable sources.

Despite the name, butanol is closer to petroleum than ethanol and is sometimes used as an alternative fuel for gas engines. There have been tests that show it can work on gas engines without modification. It can be produced from biomass (biobutanol) and fossil fuels (petrobutanol), but both have the same chemical properties. Butanol supporters claim this fuel is less corrosive than ethanol and can be distributed through oil and gas pipelines more easily.