The ecological footprints of fuels

摘要

This article discusses the use of alternative fuels in the development of the environmentally friendly car and the promotion of sustainable mobility. Based on well-to-wheel analyses and ecological footprint assessments, this article confirms that the environmentally friendly car truly exists. There is substantial potential for reducing the ecological footprint within a decade by using both new and conventional technologies and alternative fuels. In the best-case scenario, a 75% reduction of the ecological footprint would be possible. However, promoting sustainable mobility requires more than just a strategy to develop the environmentally friendly car—it also requires a substitution strategy to encourage new means of transportation and a reduction strategy to reduce the growth of transport. Therefore, only a combination of these three strategies is compatible with long-term sustainability requirements.