10 alternatives to the

gasoline-powered engine
Theres no shortage of greener ways to run a car. How viable
they are is another story.
While new drilling technologies and oil reserves are taking the pressure off
gasoline prices and peak production issues, demand for alternative fuel
vehicles continues to grow. Environmental concerns and government
regulations have made finding substitutes for the conventional gasolinepowered internal combustion engine a priority for both manufacturers and
consumers. The federal government is demanding an average of 54.5 miles
per gallon by 2025 -- a challenging target for traditional technologies.
California is requiring increasing numbers of zero-emission or plug-in
hybrid cars. But what direction to go? Depending on considerations like
usage patterns, efficiency, and cost, there are at least a dozen substitutes
for gasoline as motor fuel, including electricity, natural gas, vegetable oil,
and even sunlight. Even the most promising ones like natural gas, as John
O'Dell of Edmunds.com points out, are handicapped by the same thing: a
lack of infrastructure for refueling or recharging. With that in mind, here's
a look at the alternatives that are available today, along with some tentative
predictions about their prospects for the future.

1. Gas-electric hybrids

The first hybrid models, the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius (above) both
reached the U.S. in 1999, and today some 40 gas-electric models are for
sale. Using electricity to partially power vehicles has significant fuel
economy and emissions benefits. Gas-electric hybrids use a battery to
provide power at low speeds, or to handle stop/start. The battery is charged
through regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine, and it
need not be plugged in. While Toyota's TM 0.90% popular Prius remains
the best-selling hybrid -- more than 200,000 will be sold in 2013 -- their
numbers now include supercars made by Ferrari and Porsche. The Porsche
Panamera S hybrid has a 3.0 liter V6 engine and still gets 22 mpg city/30
mpg highway.

2. Plug-in hybrids
Plug-in hybrids or PHEVS are similar to gas-electric hybrids but have
larger batteries that can propel the car limited distances on electricity
alone, thus generating zero emissions. The batteries can then be recharged
by being plugged into an electric power source. The cost of the larger
batteries carries a hefty price premium -- an additional $7,000 for the plugin version of the Prius before a recent price cut -- and only four PHEV
models are currently available in the U.S. Sales of the best-known model,
General Motors' GM 2.17% range-assisted Chevrolet Volt (above), have
been running at less than 2,000 a month.

3. Electrics
Electric vehicles (EVs) run gasoline-free; they use a battery to store the
electric energy that powers the motor. Acceptance of pure EVs has been
slowly growing since they were introduced to the mass market three years
ago, with increased demand both at the low end of the market, following
price cuts on the $30,000 Nissan Leaf (above), and at the top with the
surprising success of the $80,000 Tesla Model S. Range anxiety continues

to be a deterrent to greater buyer interest, as does the limited number of

charging stations outside major cities. Eleven different EV models from
mainstream manufacturers were on sale in 2013, among them Mercedes's
Smart ForTwo Electric, which claims a range of 68 miles per charge and
sells for $20,740 before incentives and discounts.

4. Ethanol and flex fuel

Thanks to the government's 2007 Renewable Fuels mandate requiring a
certain amount of liquids made from renewable sources to be added to
gasoline, ethanol made from corn has found its way into the nation's fuel
supply. Some 84 car and truck models carry the designation "flex fuel,"
meaning they can run on mixtures that contain up to 85% ethanol. Lately, a
backlash against ethanol use has developed as realization grows that
ethanol contains less energy than gasoline, resulting in fewer miles per
gallon, and takes a lot of energy to produce, which can lead to increased
emissions of carbon dioxide. Opponents also argue that ethanol is
unethical, because it diverts 40% of the corn grown from food supplies and
drives up its cost.

5. Biodiesel
Manufactured from vegetable oil, animal fats, or recycled restaurant
grease, biodiesel raises the octane rating of conventional diesel fuel and
burns more cleanly, in addition to being non-toxic and biodegradable.
Biodiesel can be used in its pure form but is most often found in a blend
with 80% conventional diesel fuel. Government regulations required 1.3
billion gallons of biodiesel to be produced in 2013. Biodiesel can be used

in most vehicles that have conventional diesel engines without

modification, among them Ford's F 0.74% F-250 Super Duty pickup.

6. Propane
Ease of maintenance and reduced emissions have spurred the use of
propane in light-vehicle fleets (police cars and school buses) as well as in
heavy-duty trucks with such familiar nameplates as Kenworth and
Peterbilt. More than 270,000 propane vehicles are now on the road. Also
known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane is produced as a byproduct of natural gas processing and crude oil refining. Despite a high
octane rating and clean burning properties, propane costs about one-third
less than gasoline. But it must be stored in a pressurized tank, and the
propane refueling infrastructure is limited.

7. Liquefied and compressed natural gas

Natural gas vehicles, operating on either liquefied or compressed gas,
produce mileage similar to gasoline but burn more cleanly. The Energy
Department estimates that some 112,000 vehicles powered by natural gas
are currently in operation. Most are medium and heavy-duty trucks, but
Honda HMC 0.37% has offered a natural gas Civic (above) since 1998. It
is slower than a gasoline one, has a limited range and refueling network,
and costs thousands of dollars more. In its favor are cheaper prices for a
fuel that is produced domestically and lower emissions.

8. Fuel cells
Like a fictional El Dorado glimmering in the distance, affordable
hydrogen-powered fuel cells have been an elusive goal for a generation of
researchers. Hydrogen is appealing because it can be produced
domestically and burns cleanly, and fuel cell vehicles are two or three
times more efficient than gasoline-powered ones. What's held them back
has been the cost of building the cells themselves and a network of fueling
stations to distribute the hydrogen. As a result, small fleets of FCVs are
being tested by manufacturers, but no fuel cell vehicles have reached the
consumer market. Two notable models in limited tests: the Honda FCX
Clarity, and the 2012 Mercedes-Benz F-cell (above), which gets 52 miles
per kg of hydrogen (roughly equivalent to a gallon of gasoline).

9. Solar
In October, a car powered by the sun drove almost 2,000 miles across the
Australian outback at an average speed of 56 miles per hour. Sounds
perfect -- solar power is free and clean -- but there are a few caveats: The
Dutch-engineered car (above) just carried a driver, travelled only during
daylight hours, and used a small battery to get rolling. Is this the future?
Probably not. The photovoltaic cells that capture the sunlight and convert
it to electricity are expensive to produce, and the car is made from pricey
lightweight materials like titanium composites. However, solar-powered
vehicles might find limited use as commuter cars where they had an
opportunity to recharge during the day, and some are used today as golf
carts.

10. Steam
Between 1899 and 1905, the Stanley Steamer (above) outsold all gasolinepowered cars in the U.S. Steam engines had been in development since the
early 18th century; gasoline was a baby by comparison. But internal
combustion engines caught up quickly after they got self-starters, and
steamers were doomed by having to carry around heavy boilers. Steampowered vehicles still get attention because they can burn fuel like
garbage, wood, and crude oil -- General Motors introduced two
experimental ones in 1969 -- but they are relatively inefficient and very
weighty. In 2009, a modern steam car broke the speed record set by a
Stanley Steamer in 1906 when it exceeded 130 miles per hour, but it
weighed more than three tons and contained more than two miles of steam
tubing.