Fuels

In the past

In the early days cars were mainly fueled by petrol, diesel and steam. Steam worked by a fuel – any fuel – being used to heat water which in turn powered pistons. The advantages were the power of the engine and that any available fuel could be used. The disadvantage was it took a while “to raise steam”. The steam engine was an external combustion engine whereas petrol was ignited in the piston itself and it became known as an internal combustion engine. The petrol engine was weaker so a gear box was used. A starter handle was required to set the petrol engine going. The boost for the petrol engine began when Bendix invented the starter motor. This meant that petrol cars could be started immediately while steam cars could not; a while later the flash boiler was invented whereby steam could be raised almost instantly but it was too late – cars now ran on petrol.

In the future

It is unlikely that technology will ever provide us with a fuel without pollution side effects. No vehicle, or the fuel it runs on, is truly green from an ecological point of view. However, the number of possible ways of providing the energy used by vehicles is rapidly expanding. All of these options have their own benefits and drawbacks and we do not recommend any specific one; which is best for you will depend on your particular circumstances.

At least as important as the fuel you use is when and how you drive. Have a look at our green driving tips to see how you can reduce your environmental impact whatever your fuel.

Biodiesel
Bioethanol
Biofuels
Compressed Natural Gas
Diesel
Electricity
Fossil Fuels
Fuel cells
Hydrogen
Liquid Petroleum Gas
Petrol
Pure Plant Oil

The table below show how diesel has more energy per litre than any other fuel.