Just one fossil fuel — oil — supplies 95 percent of the total energy used by all the world’s transport. Diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel all come from oil. But oil is dirty and it won’t last forever. What are the alternatives?
 | An electric vehicle parked at a recharging bay in central London. (Photo: Reuters) |
Transport is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions today. To reduce its impact on the environment the sector needs to become more energy efficient and, ultimately, kick its addiction to oil.
Vehicle manufacturers are focussing on the near-term benefits of improving fuel efficiency in traditional combustion engines while also experimenting with natural gas as a source of automotive energy.
In the long-term, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) singles out hybrid technology, electricity, hydrogen and biofuels as the most promising future fuels for transportation. As the backlash against biofuels has shown, these are not simple solutions and they face considerable challenges.
Click on the links below to learn more about the various alternative fuels that could power the transport systems of the future.
Read More:
Powering Up Electric Transport
Hydrogen's Long and Winding Road
Internal Combustion: Into the Pits
editor: James Tulloch
publishing date: September 29, 2008
 | Picture Gallery (click image to begin)Green cars that are environmentally friendly and fun to drive |
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