Articles About Alternative Fuels and Fuel-Efficient Cars

Ninety-seven percent of our transportation fuel comes from petroleum, but that's slowly starting to change. Learn about diversification of the American fuel supply—the benefits and the challenges.

Start with these articles:

Top news inFuels

Audi Expects Big Gains for Diesels in US: Audi believes it can sell 20 to 25 percent of its vehicles in the United States with diesel powertrains. The company is pushing a political message—reducing foreign oil dependency by driving diesel—with ad and marketing dollars, but its executives aren't sure if it will pay off.
Frankfurt Auto Show Will Debut Diesels, Some Hybrids: Diesel is and will remain the solution for auto emissions in Europe. That’s the implied message based on the long and growing list of diesel debuts at next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show. Here’s our quick rundown of announcements so far.
GM Stays the Course on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles: Despite little evidence that the United States federal government will support hydrogen fuel cells in the future, General Motors intends to stay the course. Alan Taub, GM's new executive director of research and development, said the company's first hydrogen powered cars will roll off of assembly lines by 2012.
Conference Raises Questions About Standards for Plug-in Cars: Plugging cars into the grid is quickly moving from concept to reality—and the auto and electric utility industries are frantically trying to make it a success. That’s the main theme of Plug-in 2009, a conference taking place from Aug. 10 - 13 in Long Beach, Calif. Many questions remain, such as the kind of charging equipment that carmakers will offer with their plug-in cars, and how to streamline the installation process.
Study Reveals Myths about EV Recharging Infrastructure: In the auto industry’s struggle to re-invent itself as innovative, high-tech, and environmentally friendly, car companies have fixed on the idea of plug-in hybrids and electric cars as a solution. What hasn’t been worked out is the fundamental question of how and where a million plug-in vehicles will find juice for their cars. Pike Research, a renewable energy research and consulting firm, identified a number of myths about how electric car charging will unfold by 2015.
How Congress Saved Fuel Cells, Ethanol And the Pickens Plan: Over the past few weeks, Congress has moved to defend hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol, and compressed natural gas from detractors in the EPA and the Department of Energy, ensuring their continued survival in the national budget. With billions of dollars in subsidies and tax exemptions hanging in the balance, the battle for alternative fuel supremacy is likely to rage on for some time.
Energy Department Cuts Funding for Fuel Cell Cars: In the 2010 budget that the administration is submitting to Congress, Energy Secretary Stephen Chu proposed slashing more than $100 million from the Energy Department's hydrogen program. That's a cut of almost 60 percent and one that will almost entirely come from transportation. Dr. Chu said yesterday that he holds little hope for fuel cell cars in the coming decades. In a press briefing, he said, “We asked ourselves, 'Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will covert to a hydrogen car economy?' The answer, we felt, was 'no.'”
Garbage, Fuel and Economics: An Interview with BlueFire Ethanol’s Arnold Klann: To get a better understanding of the current state of the cellulosic ethanol industry, we spoke with Arnold Klann, CEO and co-founder of BlueFire Ethanol. BlueFire uses a patented process in which mixed municipal waste—lingo for green garbage headed toward a landfill—is broken down into sugar and fermented into ethanol. That’s right. BlueFire wants to turn your garbage into America’s next great fuel. But as Klan explained, that dream remains elusive.
Bentley’s Biofuel Bargain: Leaving no doubt that the green car movement is reaching into the furthest recesses of the automobile industry, Bentley Motors—the British-based ultra-luxury brand—has adopted a pro-biofuels policy. The carmaker, owned by Volkswagen, produces some of the world’s most expensive automobiles, but that doesn’t exempt the company from moving in an eco-friendly direction.
General Clark's Ethanol March: The future of ethanol in the United States is bleak. Gas prices are low, ethanol plants are idling, and a host of new projects have been put on hold or canceled entirely. Nevertheless, a number of well-funded industry groups in Washington are committed to expanding the use of corn ethanol.