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Is the cost of fuel cells a major problem?
Why aren't fuel cells more common? Learn about whether the cost of fuel cells is a major problem in this article.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
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.
Be Your Own Mechanic
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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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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. See more »
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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. See more »
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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. See more »
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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. See more »
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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? See more »
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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. See more »
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Is ethanol really more eco-friendly than gas?
When oil is expensive, contentious and scarce, fuel made from corn or cane starts to look pretty smart -- economically and environmentally. But not everyone sees it that way. See more »
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Is hydrogen fuel dangerous?
Hydrogen proponents tout the energy efficiency and relative ease of producing this alternative fuel. Its opponents want us to remember the Hindenburg. See more »
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Is nitrogen-enriched gasoline good for my car?
You may have recently heard a certain oil company touting the fact that they sell nitrogen-enriched gasoline. But is nitrogen-enriched gasoline truly anything to get excited about? Does it really work? See more »
