Alternative Motor Fuels: A Nontechnical Guide

Growing concerns by regulators and the public over our nation's air quality and the availability of traditional energy supplies has led to a series of alternative motor fuel laws. This has resulted in staggering growth of non-petroleum fuel sources and despite recent government efforts to trim back environmental laws, alternative fuels are not a passing fancy of environmentalists or regulators. They are required by law and will be phased in to replace a small but significant percentage of petroleum motor fuels this century. This nontechnical text serves as a reference guide on alternative motor fuels for industry veterans and teaching tool for newcomers to the industry. It provides: accurate and descriptive information on basic fuel characteristics; information about economic issues such as availability and pricing strategies; practical details on storage and distribution concerns and safety considerations; a review of the recent history of alternative fuels development; and appendices providing details on various laws impacting the alternative fuel vehicles market and other clean fuel compliance issues. Chapter titles are as follows: (1) Introduction; (2) History of Alternative Fuels and Oxygenates; (3) Clean Gasolines: Reformulated and Oxygenated Fuels; (4) Clean Diesels: Low Sulfur and Soydiesel; (5) Fuel Methanol; (6) Ethanol; (7) Compressed and Liquefied Natural Gas; (8) Liquefied Petroleum Gas; (9) Electricity; (10) Hydrogen; and (11) Fleet Considerations. Appendices are (I) Legislation Impacting Alternative Fuels; (II) Comparison of EPACT and CAA; (III) Alternative Fuel/Vehicle Contacts; (IV) Properties of Fuels; and (V) State Legislative Efforts. A Glossary and an Index are provided.