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Alternative fuels and challenges

  • Magazine Article
  • 17MEIP06_01
Published June 01, 2017 by SAE International in United States
Language:
  • English

As of today, most transport vehicles use petroleum-based fuels. Although there are alternative-fueled technology demonstrators such as the Mahindra E2O or Tesla battery-electric models currently available, it will take time for these alternatives to compete with petroleum-based fuels and achieve commercial acceptance.

A selection of various transport vehicles and the fuels typically used to power them:

Cars and motorcycles/scooters: gasoline, diesel, CNG, LPG, battery-electric

Commercial trucks: diesel

Buses: diesel, CNG, battery-electric

Rail: electricity, diesel, coal

Small aircraft with reciprocating-engines: gasoline or Avgas

Larger aircraft with turbine engines: jet fuel or kerosene