I have read some states give tax incentives for using alternate fuels.
What types of fuels are available? Would I need or could I take advantage of high compression; for instance in a propane or natural gas application? Or maybe sunflower seed oil, or use vegetable oil, in an older diesel for a truck. I heard of a local fellow that runs his V.W. bugs and two trucks on it. One Ferd and one Dodge. How ever no first hand knowledge.
Originally I thought about building an ultra high compression motor for E-85, but now I figure E-85 would not be as cost effective as a true alternate fuel. Trying to start up a conversation, and get some knowledge. Gas prices are not gonna get better and I think alternatives will become a popular upgrade in the coming years. Especially if you can get credit for using them.

 

There is no "alternative fuel." Priced corn lately?

The only "alternative" is probably something so complicated that the average back yard guy can't build it. This will include some form of dynamic braking, which won't show much return on long flat highways, but just might in hilly areas or in short trips/ city driving.

Another is smaller, more efficient engines with a hybrid to batteries, and they ain't here yet, regardless of what Pree *** and Volta tell ya. (Gee I wonder what the cost/ environmental impact of all those batteries'll be?)

But regardless, I think solar wind/ other free POWER for recharge is the only real solution

EVERY SINGLE "alternative fuel" you mentioned ALREADY negatively impacts someone else. They effect our food supply, or they drive up the cost of fuel ALREADY IN USE for other purposes.

Worse, these "grown fuels" take a LOT of energy to produce end-to-end. so if you consider the ENTIRE energy cost of these fuels, they are hardly "more efficient."

Only reason stuff like E85 is as cheap as it is now, is because of huge govt. subsidies. My food sure as hell is not. cheap, that is.

If all of us went to natural gas, I would not be able to afford to drive OR heat may home.

 

Diesel truck program at my school has a bio diesel machine, cost them about 5k and converts used cooking oil into diesel fuel(exhaust smells like popcorn). they make their own fuel which costs them pennies after having the used oil donated pros and cons tho is that it takes alot of money to get initially started and need a source of used oil, also the bio diesel is highly acidic and requires your truck to either be really old with the old fashion steel lines and injectors or to completely overhaul your current fuel system with lines/injectors/pump that can take the bio diesel, new vehicles mostly can only take fuel with no more than 20% bio and 80% diesel fuel(will say in owners manual what % on new vehicles)

What i really wanna know more about is converting a carberated engine to run with a mix of gas and hydrogen(via baking soda) to get better fuel economy, i hear u can double your gas mileage that way and would give me an excuse to drive my fav car to work. cant find a guide on how to set everything up tho.

 

I would like to hear more on this as well.

 

The rising cost of gasoline and diesel fuel is prompting many people to investigate options to retrofit (“convert”) their car or pick-up truck to run either (1) solely on natural gas, which is referred to as “dedicated” or (2) to run on gasoline OR natural gas, which EPA refers to as “dual-fuel” although the worldwide accepted nomenclature for such vehicles is “bi-fuel.” All systems and system installers must be certified to engage in CNG retrofits.