What topic should we have covered less in 2017? Take our Twitter poll

2018 Nissan LeafNo single definition exists for the idea of "green car," and very few shoppers set out to go buy a green car. Instead, car buyers look for vehicles that meet their needs—with fuel economy or energy efficiency somewhere in that list of needs, whether higher or lower. Certainly the definition of "green car" has evolved since this site began...

Which alternative fuels will survive long-term? Twitter poll results

2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell, 2016 Toyota Mirai at hydrogen fueling station, Fountain Valley, CABuilding a fueling network turns out to be more of a challenge than many advocates, regulators, and drivers may have anticipated. The attempt to boost passenger vehicles fueled by cheap, abundant U.S. natural gas is now essentially over, with a mere 942 public natural-gas fueling stations throughout the 50 states. E85 ethanol, the biofuel that's...

Renewable-fuel mandate ruling leaves no one happy: the best compromise?

Non-ethanol gasoline pumpAs they say, the best compromise is usually the one that leaves all parties equally dissatisfied. When it comes to the Environmental Protection Agency's renewable-fuel mandate, it seems regulators have reached equilibrium. The latest skirmish in the long-running battle over the U.S. renewable-fuel standard appears to have been settled, at least...

Which alternative fuels will survive long-term? Take our Twitter poll

2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell, 2016 Toyota Mirai at hydrogen fueling station, Fountain Valley, CAYou just don't hear the phrase "alternative fuels" as much as you did, say, 10 years ago. With a couple of million plug-in electric cars now on the world's roads, the idea of swapping in one hydrocarbon fuel for another may have passed its time. Admittedly biodiesel continues to make quiet inroads for diesel commercial vehicles. DON'T MISS: When...

EPA to study cutting amount of ethanol in U.S. gasoline

FlexFuel badge on E85-capable 2009 Chevrolet HHRSince 2007, the Renewable Fuel Standard has required increasing levels of ethanol in gasoline blends sold in the U.S. Most fuel stations across the United States no longer offer pure gasoline, with E10—a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline—prevailing. After years of debate, the EPA has now announced it will study the...

RIP natural-gas cars, doomed by cheap gas and electric cars

UPS natural gas fueling stationNatural gas vehicles were first promoted starting in about 2000 as a way to reduce reliance on imported oil and cut tailpipe emissions. Their promise appeared to grow near the height of the global financial crisis, when gas prices hovered around $4 per gallon across much of the United States. The domestic fuel promised to cut carbon-dioxide...

Scotland fuels car with biobutanol derived from whiskey production

Celtic Renewables biobutanol whiskey fuelElectric cars may receive most of the attention within the realm of alternative propulsion methods, but liquid hydrocarbon fuels will be with us for many decades to come. The challenge then becomes how to reduce the carbon footprint of extracting, transporting, refining, and burning those fuels to reduce the damage they impose on the environment...