Alt Fuels

GM has started production of its two new bi-fuel options in the pickup truck market. The 2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 HD bi-fuel models are able to run on either regular gasoline, or compressed natural gas (CNG). A 6.0-liter V-8 as found under the hood of each truck isn't...

Alternative fuels have recently suffered at the hands of the current Renewable Fuel Standard, a set of guidelines that dictate various aspects of alt fuels. Combined with droughts and political factors, the industry has had it tough recently--but renewable diesel is on track to change the...

Nordic countries have consistently proven to be at the forefront of electric car and alternative fuel adoption, and now look set to take the lead with fuel cell vehicles too. Several northern European countries have signed a memorandum of understanding with Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai, to...

Of all the Chevrolet models, the Corvette sports car may be the one least likely to be considered green. Indeed, the world rocked on its axis when the lead engineer said two years ago that, one day, there might be a Corvette Hybrid. But considerably sooner than that, you can have your very own...

Call it last week's most unexpected headline: the idea that a group of engineers in Britain had managed to create gasoline ("petrol") out of ... thin air? Indeed, it appears to be so--if you add energy (and sodium hydroxide). Here's how it works: The process starts by blowing atmospheric air into a...

If you've been considering the purchase of a 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, now might be the time to sign on the dotted line. Honda, in conjunction with Clean Energy, is offering a $3,000 fuel card for the purchase of natural gas at any of Clean Energy's natural gas filling stations. When natural...

Ethanol is often touted as being the future fuel of internal combustion vehicles, as it can be more easily--and more locally--produced than regular gasoline, while producing lower greenhouse gas emissions. That makes it a further step towards energy independence, but does it make it the fuel of the...

The market for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles may be just about to get the kick-start it needs, as a coalition of U.S. states gets ready to buy up to 10,000 CNG vehicles. Representatives from the 22 states met in Detroit in July, to push automakers to build more CNG vehicles on the promise...

Tesla Motors gets a huge amount of media attention, and Fisker Automotive isn't far behind. Other automotive startups, including Coda Automotive and tiny Wheego Electric Cars, are less well known. But can you name the startup automaker that's built 2,500 cars since last September? Hint: It's none...

The battle over the levels of ethanol in fuel may not have stopped just yet, but a decision by the U.S. Appeals Court will certainly weaken the challenge. Several groups, including grocery, auto and petroleum industry bodies filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency in November 2010...

Corn ethanol, the oft-touted answer to the problem of foreign oil, is still suffering problems. This time, a drop in production--thanks to drought conditions in the midwestern states that produce it--is harming corn ethanol exports and putting further pressure on the fuel vs. food debate. That...

Much of the jury is still out on the viability of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but they now have the blessing of the United States government. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu had previously opined that light-duty fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) were in need of a few miracles to make them viable in the...

It's fair to say that E15 gasoline--that's gasoline, blended with 15 percent ethanol--hasn't been universally popular, since being approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Not only are the blended pumps that serve it few and far between, but there are still clouds of doubt hanging...

Last week, governors of more than 20 states joined together to ask the auto industry for a specific kind of car: a mid-size sedan powered by natural gas, rather than gasoline. This week, the industry responded, with auto-company representatives gathering in Oklahoma City to discuss the request with...

The relationship between natural gas vehicles (NGVs) and natural gas stations is a 'catch-22' situation. Without the former, companies are reluctant to built more natural gas stations, as the demand won't be there. But without the latter, manufacturers see no reason to produce natural gas vehicles...

The London Olympics now underway are a showcase for green cars. Automotive sponsor BMW is getting massive exposure for 4,000 of its greenest vehicles, including lower-emission ActiveHybrid models, fuel-efficient diesels, and much-anticipated i3 all-electric city car and i8 plug-in hybrid sports...

Government incentives are a popular (if controversial) way of getting more buyers behind the wheel of electric cars. Bring down the price, and buyers will follow. Whatever you think of the politics behind the incentives, others are simply concerned that they aren't getting the same treatment. One...

Ethanol continues to be a political football, with the alcohol fuel coming under fire from the auto industry, environmental pressure groups, and others. The latest to line up against the corn-based fuel is a coalition of industrialized livestock and poultry producers that might collectively be...

With flex-fuel cars that can run on E85 ethanol still a minority of the vehicles on sale, you might think ethanol isn't as important as some other future fuels. But up to 10 percent of every gallon of gasoline you buy today is ethanol, and that proportion may rise to as much as 15 percent if gas...

There may only be a handful of natural gas vehicles on sale, but representatives from Colorado and Oklahoma want that to change. A meeting between politicians from each state and representatives from the automakers in Detroit will meet on Monday to discuss ways in which demand for natural gas...