Fuel Efficiency

Why aren't fuel cells more common? Learn about whether the cost of fuel cells is a major problem in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

For as long as we've complained about gas prices, there's been an army of inventors offering devices to stretch our mileage further. But which ones work and which are hoaxes?

By Matt Cunningham

Mileage-boosting gadgets have been around for years, and they seem to make a comeback every time gas prices spike. But do any of them actually work?

By Matt Cunningham

Fuel prices are on the rise, and with gas getting so costly, those fill-ups are no trivial expense. What can you do to help your vehicle save fuel?

By Becky Striepe

Not only can gassing up the car get expensive, but driving is also not so hot for the environment. What are the best ways to save fuel?

By Becky Striepe

Many countries are using more diesel fuel for a variety of reasons. Learn whether diesel fuel is good for the environment from this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Powering cars with our leftover solid waste. Sounds a little far-fetched, right? Well, it turns out that we're actually pretty close to being able to power cars on garbage like banana peels and beer.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Synthetic fuels, aka synfuels, could be one of the solutions to solving the energy crisis. But what exactly are they and how are they produced?

By Matt Sailor

There may not be a magic bullet to solve the energy crisis, but synthetic fuels offer some advantages -- and drawbacks -- when compared to conventional fossil fuels. Find out about the different types of synthetic fuels and how they're processed.

By Matt Sailor

You hear the word biofuel, and the first things that may come to mind are the cars run on fry grease that make the local news every time gasoline breaks $3 a gallon. But what are some of the non-automotive uses for biofuel?

By Rebecca Fairley Raney

Switching the world's energy consumption to biofuel makes good sense in some aspects, but the biofuels most likely to be produced on a large scale carry significant drawbacks. What are some of the economic disadvantages of biofuel?

By Matt Cunningham

"Biofuel" is a major buzzword in transportation circles these days, and for good reason. However, biofuels, and the process of integrating them into our fuel use habits, can be costly. What are some of the drawbacks of biofuels?

By Matt Cunningham

The biofuel industry has become an economic lifeline for dozens of communities. Several studies suggest the industry could add more than 1 million jobs to the U.S. economy in the next two decades. Could one be in your backyard?

By John Perritano

As gas prices continue to rise and global warming becomes more pervasive, more people are using biofuels as a way to save money and decrease their consumption of fossil fuels. And while they're definitely not perfect, they have many advantages over types of fuels.

By John Perritano

By spring of 2011, the leading international standards board is expected to approve a biofuel for use in jet engines. But is biofuel really a reasonable alternative for jet fuel?

By Rebecca Fairley Raney

Algae could one day be the answer to our dependence on fossil fuels. Why? Because it can be converted into oil via several different methods that are relatively inexpensive and safe. Read just how it happens here.

By Susan Cassidy

Scientists are focusing a lot of research -- and money -- on biofuel technology. The good news is the fuels are out there and in general, they're sustainable and better for the environment than fossil fuels. But they still have their downfalls, one being they're still expensive to produce. Read on to find out more about five of the "cheapest" biofuels.

By Susan Cassidy

The gasoline and petroleum-based diesel fuels that power most of the world's automobiles are fairly far removed from anything safe to consume, but that's changing. What are some of the most common edible biofuels?

By Matt Cunningham

Biofuels -- or fuels made from plants like wheat, corn, soybean and sugarcane -- burn clean, release fewer pollutants and greenhouse gases, and are sustainable. Could these "energy crops" really be the end to our addiction to fossil fuels like oil?

By John Perritano

Since many popular biofuel crops are also commonly used as staple foods, critics of biofuel mass production warn that a spike in crop demand for biofuel could overload agricultural capacity. But is this a verifiable threat?

By Matt Cunningham

It takes a lot of energy to slow or stop a car. And now a few engineers and technology companies have found a way to gather up that wasted energy. So how much can they collect and what can it be used for?

By Christopher Neiger

When it debuted at the Geneva Auto Show in 2007, many people thought Toyota's Hybrid X concept car would be the next-generation Prius. We know better now, but what does the future hold for Hybrid X?

By Akweli Parker

Theft is senseless, right? Well, if that's the case, then why would someone want to steal the hybrid badge from your car? The answer (or should we say, answers?) may surprise you.

By Terry V. Boyce

When it comes to alternative fuels for cars and trucks, you may think you already know all the options. But do you think you can you list 10 alternative fuels already in use? We can.

By Jamie Page Deaton

Hybrid cars are fuel-efficient -- there's no doubt about that. However, is it true that hybrid car manufacturers have found a way to make use of kinetic energy that's normally wasted?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler