At present, it has been noticed that in various countries of the world, there has emerged a tendency to restrict the usage of fuel-driven vehicles. Several reasons have contributed to that. While in many nations, especially in those of the European continent it has been noticed that the sudden upsurge of fuel prices and higher taxation rates discourage the use of fuel, the awareness of the adverse effects of fuel on the environment has also decreased its usage. In such cases, one can see the phenomenal rise of the alternative fuel vehicles. The term is used to designate those vehicles or automobiles which do not make use of petroleum for its functioning. In other words, these are vehicles which are run by some other fuel apart from the conventional diesel or gasoline. Hybrid vehicles which make use of internal combustion and electric power for their functioning are one of the most prominent among these alternative fuel vehicles.

There are also several other kinds of alternative fuel vehicles. These include the battery electric cars which perform with the aid of rechargeable batteries which store the chemical energy and they are extremely environment friendly if they make use of renewable energy resources as they cause zero carbon emission. Biodiesel is also a very prevalent means of car fuel and it has been researched that it is possible to produce biodiesel from vegetable oils fully. Biodiesel is a popular form of vehicle fuel in the United States which produces abundant oilseeds and it is more prominently used in the rural areas by the farmers for running their tractors. However, its usage is quite limited as several modern vehicles are not compatible to its usage.

A very significant variant of the alternative fuel vehicle is the air car. The air car I comprised of a piston engine which ensures zero carbon emission and in this vehicle the main source of energy is air. Food oil is used for lubrication in the air car and it makes use of extremely cheaper technologies and therefore the maintenance costs are also reduced. In several countries of the world, alcohol fuel is prominently used because of its environment friendly characteristics. Ethanol is the one used commonly as it is obtained form plant sugars and is believed to be a renewable energy resource. Compressed Natural Gas or CNG vehicles are popularly used in different parts of the world for not having negative effects on the surroundings.

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