What is biodiesel? Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases. Biodiesel is considered safe, biodegradable, and reduces serious air pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and air toxics. Blends of 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum diesel (B20) can generally be used in unmodified diesel engines (check with your auto manufacturer to be sure). Biodiesel can also be used in its pure form (B100), but it may require certain engine modifications to avoid maintenance and performance problems and may not be suitable for wintertime use.
What is Natural Gas? Natural Gas is a mix of methane, propane, ethane, butane and other components that naturally occur in the ground. Typically it contains 70 to 90% methane. When purified, natural gas is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels, and vehicles operating on natural gas have 80 percent less combined carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide (ozone-forming) emissions than their gasoline fueled counter parts. Most of the natural gas consumed in the United States is domestically produced, and it can be used in vehicles in two forms: compressed (CNG) or liquefied (LNG).
What is CNG? CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas. CNG is the same as regular natural gas except that it's stored under pressure in tanks to save space. CNG is in widespread use in fleet vehicles, like municipal buses.
What is LNG? LNG stands for Liquified Natural Gas. LNG is natural gas that has been refrigerated into a cryogenic liquid, 260 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. One gallon of LNG expands to 600 times its size when it is converted back to a gas. If it makes contact with water, it can expand to its original size with an explosive-like force. LNG packs more energy per gallon than gasoline or diesel, and it's practical for powering heavy equipment, like big rig trucks and electric power plants.
Can natural gas vehicles use gasoline? Natural gas vehicles can be designed to run on dedicated or bi-fuel systems. Dedicated fuel systems are designed to run only on natural gas while bi-fuel vehicles have two separate fueling systems that allow the vehicle to use either natural gas or gasoline.
Isn't LNG dangerous? Liquified natural gas is highly flammable and, because of its super-low temperature, if it spills in an accident it poses additional hazards over gasoline or diesel. Evaporating fumes can catch fire and, in some circumstances, explode. LNG fires cannot readily be put out. Many communities resist the building of terminals and storage tanks that these fuels require.
What is LPG? LPG stands for Liquefied Propane Gas. Propane is produced as a by-product from natural gas processing and crude oil refining. Vehicles operating on propane can produce 30 to 90 percent less carbon monoxide and about 50 percent less smog-producing emissions than gasoline fueled engines. Like natural-gas fueled vehicles, propane fueled vehicles can be designed to run on dedicated or bi-fuel systems.
What is the downside to LPG? Though it burns cleaner than gas or diesel, LPG is still a fossil fuel (like its cousins CNG and LNG) and therefore contributes carbon monoxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere, and it is not a sustainable source of energy.
How does an all-electric vehicle work? In an electric vehicle, or EV, batteries are typically used to store the electricity that powers the electric motor(s) in the vehicle. The batteries must be recharged by plugging into a power source. Some EVs have on-board chargers. Others need to be plugged into an external charger. Well-designed EVs can travel at the same speeds as conventional vehicles and provide the same safety and performance capabilities. In some instances, the EVs have better acceleration because of the characteristics of motors at low speeds.
Don't electric vehicles have limited range? The range for EVs is more limited than conventional vehicle ranges, and spans from 50 to 220 miles. Variables include the vehicle's weight, engineering, design, type of battery, weather extremes, and the use of heating and air conditioning.
Are electric vehicles pollution free? Battery electric vehicles meet California's Zero Emission Vehicle requirement. Unfortunately, electricity generation is not pollution free so EVs do produce indirect environmental impacts, but are still far cleaner than gasoline-powered vehicles.
How do Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) work? Like battery-powered electric vehicles, FCVs are propelled by electric motors. Whereas battery-powered vehicles use electricity from an external source (and store it in a battery), FCVs create their own electricity. FCVs are fueled with pure hydrogen gas stored onboard in high pressure tanks. Fuel cells onboard the vehicle create electricity through a chemical process using hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air. The engines are completely silent and the end result is no exhaust, just a few drops of water. For more information, see our facts about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Where do I fill up my alternative fuel car? AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah has teamed up with CALSTART to offer refueling information. Owners of alternative fuel vehicles can call AAA at (800) 861-7759 and we will direct you to the nearest refueling station. You do not need to be a AAA member to take advantage of this service. You can also find refueling information online at CALSTART's website, www.cleancarmaps.com, or at www.evchargernews.com.
