alternative fuels library

Alternative fuels include biodiesel and hydrogen. Alternative fuels are important because they could eventually provide us with a cheaper, cleaner, and more abundant source of fuel. Check out these great alternative fuel articles from HowStuffWorks.

Featured Article: Grassoline: Can we fuel cars with grass?

Can we use grass to power our cars? Proponents of cellulosic ethanol made from switchgrass think we can. Others fear we'll stop growing food to grow fuel. See more »

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5 Alternative Fuel Ideas That Never Made It Out of the Lab

As fuel prices skyrocket, wouldn't it be great to find reliable, renewable As fuel prices skyrocket, wouldn't it be great to find reliable, renewable energy sources? These five ideas for alternative fuel range from outlandish to potentially possible.

Biodiesel Quiz

The biodiesel quiz will test your knowledge about biodiesel components, biofuel history and biodiesel pros and cons. Take the quiz and see how much you know about how biodiesel works.

Biofuel Quiz

What do vegetable oil, corn and salt water have in common? They're all potential fuel sources for our cars. See how much you know about the next generation of biofuels in our Biofuel Quiz.

Can a car run on nuclear power?

The search for alternative fuel is on. Could a pocket-sized version of a nuclear power plant make your car run 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers) between fill-ups?

Could salt water fuel cars?

There may be "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink," but what if you could substitute seawater for gasoline? It's a little like alchemy, but could it work?

Dangerous Hydrogen Fuel Quiz

Fuel cells and hydrogen power offer many benefits, but there are dangers as well. Put on your protective gear and find out how much you know about hydrogen fuel's dangers (or lack thereof) in this quiz.

Fuel Cell Quiz

Fuel cells are still pricier than even premium-grade gas -- do you know why? Test your fuel cell know-how in this quiz and learn some cool fuel cell facts along the way.

Grassoline: Can we fuel cars with grass?

Can we use grass to power our cars? Proponents of cellulosic ethanol made from switchgrass think we can. Others fear we'll stop growing food to grow fuel.

How Biodiesel Works

Soybean byproducts are nutritious and healthy. They can also power a car. Find out how soybean and other plant oils as well as animal fats are used to create the environmentally friendly fuel biodiesel.

How E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel Works

Corn distilled into ethanol and mixed with gasoline is used to create E85. Each gallon of E85 consists of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Learn the pros and cons of this new fuel.

How Fuel Cells Work

Why are governments, private businesses, and academic institutions collaborating to research develop and produce fuel cells? Learn how fuel cells work and how efficient they really are.

How Liquefied Petroleum Gas Works

You probably know it as the stuff that fuels a gas grill or a Zippo lighter, but that's just the beginning. People are modifying cars to run on the stuff. Learn all about liquefied petroleum gas.

How much corn would I need to fuel a cross-country trip with ethanol?

I've heard that it's possible to build a car engine to run off of ethanol, a byproduct of corn. How much corn would I need to grow in order to produce enough ethanol fuel to drive my car across the country?

How Natural-gas Vehicles Work

As gasoline prices soar and concern over harmful emission mounts, cars that run on alternate fuel sources are becoming increasingly popular. Natural-gas vehicles (or NGVs) are fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly and offer a relatively low cost of ownership.