Alternative fuel vehicle

An alternative fuel vehicle is a <a href="/facts/Motor_vehicle/AaXamA0w">motor vehicle</a> that runs on <a href="/facts/Alternative_fuel/TcKYtwXp">alternative fuel</a> rather than traditional <a href="/facts/Petroleum/IQV0bHVd">petroleum</a>-based <a href="/facts/Fossil_fuel/BPgxAqB7">fossil fuels</a> such as <a href="/facts/Gasoline/lcnxq5BS">gasoline</a>, <a href="/facts/Petrodiesel/lm71xc19">petrodiesel</a> or <a href="/facts/Liquefied_petroleum_gas/bw6trakm">liquefied petroleum gas</a> (<a href="/facts/Autogas/63cElx5y">autogas</a>). The term typically refers to <a href="/facts/Internal_combustion_engine_vehicle/Ju4BXzj0">internal combustion engine vehicles</a> or <a href="/facts/Fuel_cell_vehicle/MIuXXyuN">fuel cell vehicles</a> that utilize <a href="/facts/Synthetic_fuel/H5UxNxQD">synthetic</a> <a href="/facts/Renewable_fuel/flb46VjG">renewable fuels</a> such as <a href="/facts/Biofuel/RWu7b6Y3">biofuels</a> (<a href="/facts/Ethanol_fuel/E1m7CDM4">ethanol fuel</a>, <a href="/facts/Biodiesel/M6FkfJXH">biodiesel</a> and <a href="/facts/Biogasoline/CUfmL3F9">biogasoline</a>), <a href="/facts/Hydrogen_fuel/ezoKnHe9">hydrogen fuel</a> or so-called "<a href="/facts/Electrofuel/cKnIQNGs">Electrofuel</a>". The term can also be used to describe an <a href="/facts/Electric_vehicle/jhCbx5ur">electric vehicle</a> (particularly a <a href="/facts/Battery_electric_vehicle/vz6w8xyS">battery electric vehicle</a> or a <a href="/facts/Solar_vehicle/h1nWrldV">solar vehicle</a>), which should be more appropriately called an "alternative energy vehicle" or "new energy vehicle" as its <a href="/facts/Propulsion/xTuW8Fw2">propulsion</a> actually rely on <a href="/facts/Electricity/hNC8D65W">electricity</a> rather than <a href="/facts/Motor_fuel/IcfFXd3G">motor fuel</a>.
Vehicle engines powered by gasoline/petrol <a href="/facts/History_of_the_automobile/gxMv3Wlo">first emerged in the 1860s and 1870s</a>; they took until the 1930s to completely dominate the original "alternative" engines driven by steam (18th century), by gases (early 19th century), or by electricity (c. 1830s). Because of a combination of factors, such as environmental and health concerns including <a href="/facts/Climate_change/rEN4BDE7">climate change</a> and <a href="/facts/Air_pollution/zmk9Dy7S">air pollution</a>, high oil-prices and the potential for <a href="/facts/Peak_oil/s0YlwPS6">peak oil</a>, development of cleaner alternative fuels and advanced power systems for vehicles has become a high priority for many governments and vehicle manufacturers around the world in recent years.
<a href="/facts/Hybrid_electric_vehicle/Ia53ts30">Hybrid electric vehicles</a> such as the <a href="/facts/Toyota_Prius/UBj0Wr3v">Toyota Prius</a> are not actually alternative fuel vehicles, as they still use traditional fuels such as gasoline, but through advancement in <a href="/facts/Electric_battery/bqEpm4ue">electric battery</a>/<a href="/facts/Supercapacitor/JuJDlQCA">supercapacitor</a> and <a href="/facts/Motor-generator/EjhVedUR">motor-generator</a> technologies, they have an overall better <a href="/facts/Fuel_efficiency/URhdQ7Wl">fuel efficiency</a> than conventional combustion vehicles. Other <a href="/facts/Research_and_development/2h5UddUu">research and development</a> efforts in alternative forms of power focus on developing <a href="/facts/Plug-in_electric/7e0gKmgX">plug-in electric</a>, <a href="/facts/Range_extender/zlPLbyQt">range extender</a> and <a href="/facts/Fuel_cell_vehicle/MIuXXyuN">fuel cell vehicles</a>, and even <a href="/facts/Compressed-air_vehicle/d2N8bR3g">compressed-air vehicles</a>.
An environmental analysis of the impacts of various vehicle-fuels extends beyond just operating efficiency and emissions, especially if a technology comes into wide use. A <a href="/facts/Life-cycle_assessment/vGKCvfYf">life-cycle assessment</a> of a vehicle involves production and post-use considerations. In general, the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of <a href="/facts/Battery_electric_vehicle/vz6w8xyS">battery-electric vehicles</a> are lower than emissions from hydrogen, PHEV, hybrid, compressed natural gas, gasoline, and diesel vehicles.

Alternative fuel vehicle open-in-new

Alternative fuel vehicle