With the expense of gas nowadays as well as the emphasis put on ensuring the future of the planet by keeping the air clean, there is a surge in research for alternative fuel sources. The vehicle manufacturers are developing products to meet this demand and have invested a lot of time and money to come up with the various alternates.

Ethanol, made from corn or soybeans, is one of the more recognizable forms of alternative fuel. It has gained a lot of media exposure over the years and is beneficial in many ways. It can be made inexpensively from organic materials and trash. While it still demands gasoline for its use, the ethanol is cleaner, less expensive and allows better gas mileage than that of traditional gasoline products. Ethanol is available now and uses only fifteen percent gasoline. This is a much more economical solution.

Methanol is similar to ethanol but has a few slight differences. It can be made of wood or coal but today it is primarily made from methane. Natural gas is a much less expensive alternative and burns cleaner than gasoline also. Like ethanol, methanol is an alcohol based alternative fuel.

Propane will likely be familiar to most people. In fact, many people regularly use it for other types of ebergy. It is, however, gaining momentum as a possible alternative to gas in vehicles. Propane is much easier on the environment which is one of the reasons it is being looked at so closely. It originates in the ground but is more similar to air than petroleum and much more abundant a resource.

Electric cars were developed many years ago but never took off in popularity. However, there is a resurgence in this type of vehicle now because of the rising gas prices as well as the concern for the environment. The rechargeable car batteries allow the car to run while avoiding the use of harmful gas emissions. This classic alternative has become more readily available in recent years.

The alternative fuel that is getting the most attention, though, is hydrogen. Because it is so easy to produce and so inexpensive, this looks to be one of the most promising alternatives to gasoline available. Car manufacturers have developed the means to create these cars and the technology is continually advancing. Not only will this be an extremely efficient and inexpensive solution but it will also be a very clean product.

The greenhouse effect is in the news a lot lately. That coupled with the rising gas prices has spurred scientists from around the world to put forth a lot more effort into developing alternative fuel sources. While there are many available now, advances in the industry promise even more to come.