alt-fuel technology | even vegetable oil | electricity | natural gas

Also promising is BMW’s 750HL (no word yet on its release date), which runs on either liquid hydrogen or gasoline. Liquid hydrogen is a desirable fuel because it produces no pollutants; the tailpipes of liquid hydrogen vehicles spout plain steam, rather than exhaust. Of course, there are downsides: hydrogen’s tendency to explode when it comes in contact with air, chief among them. Consider, too, the last time you saw a liquid hydrogen filling station. But BMW, not a company given to frivolity, is confident of liquid hydrogen’s future as an automotive fuel.

Due to the rapid progression and uncertainty of future technology, no one knows exactly what form tomorrow’s alternative-fuel vehicles will take. A decade from now, you might be able to choose from cars that run on electricity, natural gas, and even vegetable oil. What is certain is that alt-fuel vehicles are in our future. After all, oil is a finite resource. “This is just a first step,” says Honda’s Art Garner, of the Insight. “The future of alt-fuel technology is excellent.” And, many would add, absolutely necessary.
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