RENEWABLE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES

摘要

The need for alternative and renewable transportation fuels continues to be high on the nation's agenda. Substituting these fuels for petroleum can reduce dependence on foreign oil imports, improve air quality, and mitigate greenhouse gases. Renewable fuels offer the same advantages as nonrenewable alternative fuels, and, in addition, provide an inexhaustible supply. The largest potential for significant quantities of liquid renewable fuels is from the production of biofuels from cellulosic biomass such as wastes and energy crops. Advanced vehicles will provide dramatic fuel efficiency improvements and will likely have electric drive systems. An evolution of vehicles is expected to occur, beginning with an electric vehicle that fills niche markets in the near term, to hybrid vehicles by the year 2000, to fuel cell vehicles after the year 2005. With the combination of renewable fuels and high efficiency, advanced vehicles can move the nation toward a sustainable transportation system.