Biofuels offer an ideal solution to combating vehicular emissions, but their scaleability and availability may be hindered by resource and infrastructure limitations.

Electric vehicles requiring massive batteries, and H2PVs needing large quantities of hydrogen are both carbon intensive options; biofuels on the other hand are carbon neutral and can easily fit into existing petroleum distribution networks.

Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) operate solely on electrical energy and produce no tailpipe emissions. EVs can be charged from renewable sources such as wind or solar power, or using fossil-free technologies like hydropower for recharge.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have long been heralded as zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), capable of eliminating vehicular GHG pollution. But while EVs may seem greener than their combustion counterparts, their true environmental footprint will only become evident if their energy source comes from nonrenewable sources like thermal coal; otherwise its negative impacts could make their lifetime carbon footprint equal that of CVs.

Although electric vehicles (EVs) receive extensive marketing and government subsidies for production, their sales remain relatively low in many countries compared to that of conventional cars. This may be because EVs are relatively expensive most middle and lower middle income persons purchase them via financial mortgage loans while their energy density limits require regular replacement at great expense in developing nations with higher living costs.

Biofuels

Biofuels are renewable fuels made of organic materials that can be grown and replenished, unlike fossil fuels. Biofuels typically produce lower environmental impacts than their petroleum-derived counterparts on an energy equivalent basis, making them even more eco-friendly alternatives than gasoline-derived alternatives.

Biofuels can be used as road, aviation and shipping fuels as well as to generate electricity. There are different kinds of biofuels on the market such as ethanol derived from corn crops; biodiesel; renewable jet/aviation fuel; renewable heating oil. Furthermore, they may come in solid or gaseous forms for use.

Scientists are developing technologies to produce fuels from sources that won’t compete with food supplies or damage the land in which they’re planted, like algae and plant waste, or can be used on land susceptible to erosion or has other unfavorable conditions. Some oil companies have invested millions into research to turn algae and plant waste into fuel for cars and trucks that may help mitigate climate change by lessening our dependence on fossil fuels and helping stave off its worst effects.

India

As petroleum fuels have detrimental impacts on environment and health, transport companies have sought to shift away from them in favor of alternative power sources like electricity, hydrogen or biofuel vehicles – though their widespread adoption could be limited due to costly upfront costs and inadequate energy density compared with petroleum.

Liquid biofuel offers an effective alternative, as it can either serve as a direct replacement or be combined with gasoline to create advanced flex-fuel vehicles. Furthermore, unlike hydrogen vehicles which may be limited by power and infrastructure restrictions, liquid biofuel can easily be refilled on-the-go.

Natural Gas (NG) and Methanol can also be used as gaseous biofuels, making them perfect for vehicles operating in locations with reliable compressed biogas refueling stations, offering comparable driving range support as diesel or gasoline vehicles. Furthermore, these biofuels are non-toxic and biodegradable; emitting minimal exhaust pollutants compared to traditional fossil fuels.

Europe

Biofuel-powered vehicles present significantly fewer infrastructure challenges than ZEVs and H2PVs; instead they can be quickly implemented using existing petroleum distribution networks. Biofuels such as ethanol or biodiesel also reduce pollution immediately upon their implementation.

As carbon neutrality remains far-fetched, new research indicates that biofuel may soon become a cost-competitive way of cutting CO2 emissions in cars and trucks. The study conducted by researchers from Argonne National Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy as well as Pacific Northwest National Laboratories was recently published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

E10 fuel (composed of 10% ethanol) has become more widely available across Europe over recent years, helping reduce dependence on oil imports while contributing to circular economy/bioeconomy development, animal feed import reductions, supporting rural economies and providing increased incentives to use advanced biofuels; furthermore, under ILUC directive they double count towards Europe’s overall 14% transport target by 2030.