Which fuel is the first viable alternative as gasoline prices edge up?

[SteveJobs]

Biodiesel?
Ethanol?

Anyone know which one is the overall cheapest to the consumer, readily available, and a viable substitute for gasoline in consumer vehicles?

[Paul F.]

The first stage, simplest step is to add up to 20% Ethanol to existing gasoline.

Up to 20%, there is no problem burning in existing vehicles, and doesn't eat any rubber or plastic seals in existing engines.

Over that, and some cars start to have problems with seals, hoses, etc dissolving.

[OWC Jamie]

Chinese refurbs ?
There should be plenty.

[spearmint]

Ethanol is a deterrent to proper combustion. It is being forced on us as a "green" solution and really a joke promoted by major agricultural firms like Archer Daniel Midlands. Just drill and open new refineries and use Nuclear Energy as an alternative to coal for housing.

[spacescape]

I think they are adding ethanol into fuel right now... Result seems to be higher pricing and my gas millage as seemed to reduced...

Now, I don't have any hard facts, just something I noticed.

Bill

[BigGuynRusty]

Ethanol is a nightmare, look what it did to Brazil.
Puts out tons of formaldehyde, which isn't tested for on the current smog tests. Makes a car tuned for gasoline, run like crap.

BioDiesel is beautiful, sulfur free fuel, problem is that GM personally killed the automobile diesel market in the 1980's. Euro diesels are just wonderful cars that can't be sold here because of our crappy high-sulfur content diesel.

Diesel is the near future, would love to see a Diesel/Electric/Hydraulic Accumulator Hybrid, 75/100 MPG easily obtainable.

BGnR

[blusubaru]

BIODIESEL! There are kits on eBay and all over the internet. You can make about 20-25 gallons in a weekend (or 24 hours if you're ambitious) for about $.90/gal. Makes your exhaust smell like french fries too. If I weren't such a Subaru nut, I'd be really tempted to get a VW TDI of some sort and brew up my own go-go juice.

[SteveJobs]

We had a GM diesel car. It was great for creating the smokescreen to get away from bad guys (or coppers).

I'm not sure about others, but Diesel fumes cause people I know to almost vomit. I would not be surprised to see an almost peanut-like allergy be invented soon for it.

[Grateful11]

Just read an article in "Successful Farming" about Ethanol.
One of the problems now is that it takes a boatload of
Natural Gas to process it and it's really high right now. At
least the byproduct of it can be eaten by livestock.


Here's some excellent articles on it, some are in pdf form:

http://agriculture.com/ag/category.jhtml...467681.xml

[blusubaru]

Wasn't there something a while back on here about turning animal feces into a consumable fuel? I'm having trouble finding it in the archives...