Special Report: Alternative Fuel Suppliers

This article offers a special report on alternative fuel suppliers, with an overview of the most common alternative fuels and ways to procure them and finance vehicles that use them. It provides a definition of alternative fuels that meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements and explains the difference between hybrids that don't qualify as alternative fuel vehicles and EPA-type alternative fuels. According to the Public Transit Fact Book from the American Public Transit Association, about 15 percent of buses on the road are using alternative fuels. CNG is the most popular by far, followed at a distance by liquefied natural gas, electricity and propane. Other can include biofuels, hydrogen, even jet fuel and propane blends. Ethanol is no longer used, though that may change with the current emphasis on ethanol production. The article describes the procedures for adopting different fuel types, and explains the engineering, fuel characteristics and procurement processes. Pros and cons and current prices are also given for the various options.