5 Oddball Alternative Fuels

Back in high school, I used to work in a father-to-son, decades-old repair shop with a gas station. I was the gas station attendant (yes, I’m from Jersey) and I used to have some variation of the same conversation multiple times a day. It usually started with something along the lines of “I remember when that sign up there used to say 30 cents per gallon”. However the conversation went, the message was always the same: gas is way too expensive. But what are we going to do, not drive? That’s not an option. Electric cars are helping to make an impact, but most of them still need gas. Hopefully, some of these alternative fuels will push gas off of its throne as fuel king and bring us lower prices.

1. Vegetable Oil

   Americans have a love affair with fried foods. Why not take the byproduct and put it in our cars? Used oil can be cleaned and converted into a biodiesel fuel. This type of alternative is actually being put to use already. In fact, Lincoln Financial Field runs all of their maintenance equipment on fry oil left over from events. That’s because it takes little to no alterations to convert a conventional diesel engine to run on biodiesel fuel. Plus, it’ll make your car smell like french fries, which is a nice bonus.

2. Corn

   Corn fuel is an oldie but goodie, believe it or not. In the ’70s there were a few oil crises, which led people to get creative. Somebody had the idea to mix gas with moonshine. Whether they did it on a dare, out of desperation, or because they were just smart is unclear. But the result came to be known as Gasahol. That’s right; your car can run on booze! E85 ethanol comes from corn, burns clean and costs little, but it still needs to be 15% gasoline to become functional. Still, I’d love to cut my gas bill by 85%.

3. Hemp

   Seriously, is there anything you can’t do with this stuff? You can use it to insulate your house, clothe your kids, make your soap, mend your fishing nets, and power your car! And leave it to hemp to produce multiple forms of alternative fuel; it can be used to make biodiesel, or it can be used instead of corn to make ethanol.

4. Garbage

   Let’s face it, this may be useful, but it sounds pretty gross. If vegetable oil makes your car smell like french fries, then I’m pretty sure garbage gas will smell like…garbage. The Altamont Landfill in California collects gas given off by the garbage, purifies it, and turns it into liquid. A lot of liquid. They are capable of creating 13,000 gallons of garbage gas per day.

5. Algae

   That’s right folks! Pond scum can someday replace gasoline. Scientists have created a way to turn algae into something similar to crude oil, which they can then refine into synthetic gas. Not only that, the ‘crude algae’ can also be used to replace all other oil products, like plastic, rubber, clothing, asphalt, etc. Even better, you can use dirty ocean water or wastewater to grow the stuff and it’ll come out cleaner than before you started!

I’m sorry to say; we probably won’t be seeing any of these alternatives any time soon. The mass production processes aren’t ready for them. And there aren’t exactly a ton of algae lobbyists in Washington helping the cause along. So, tighten your belts; you’re stuck with the high prices for a while. But just because your gas is expensive, your total driving experience doesn’t have to be. Good2Go can help you save some money on your car insurance. Visit www.Good2Go.com for a free, no obligation quote on cheap car insurance today!