Popular Mechanics has a very good comparison of the current state of alternative fuels. It's well worth the read to get past the hype for this fuel or that energy-source. The magazine's conclusion:
Today, many families have several cars--often more cars than they have drivers. So before we see our national fleet running on hydrogen, we believe that many households might have an electric or plug-in hybrid for short trips, an E85/electric hybrid sedan, SUV or minivan to squire the whole team, and a diesel pickup fueled by B30 or B50 to haul most anything else. All will reduce greenhouse gases and use renewable resources that come from inside our borders. By pursuing these multiple pathways, we can reduce our dependence on any single energy source--something we haven't achieved with petroleum.
But don't discount the appeal of gasoline too quickly. David E. Cole, chairman of the Center for Auto Research, says, "If gasoline prices get too high and we look to other fuels--like hydrogen--you can expect that oil-producing nations will reduce our fuel costs. They want to continue to pump oil out, pump dollars in, and they could see the hydrogen economy as a threat."
Clearly, our energy future is anything but simple. But the proliferation of energy options and surge in research hold promise--even if no single alternative fuel can replace imported oil alone.
Sensible. There's no reason to hold off for perfection in the form of hydrogen fuel-cells -- if you're to believe one group -- or to limit ourselves to ethanol -- if we're to listen to the farm lobby. And the magazin'es point that the price of oil will drop as the world begins to shift away from it is well-taken.
Gasoline's siren song won't die away quickly.
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