Alternative fuel vehicles· to replace gas-guzzling SUV s

KELLY FI:>.LANNEWS EDITOR

KM722@CABRINI.EDU

The growing hole in the ozone layer has done little to shake people of their drive toward SUV motoring, but the skyward trerid in gas prices has them parking their Suburban or Escalade on the front lawn with a for sale sign in the window.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles, or AFVs, are a growing trend in automobile technology that takes environmental concerns into account. Gasoline diluting agents, like Ethanol, and alternative fuels, like hydrogen, are eco-friendly, and they save the consumer money at the pump.

Ethanol is the most prevalent alternative energy source, according to the Alternative Fuels Data Center. It is alcohol-based and made from fermented starch, like corn. barley, and wheat. It has been used for more than a decade as a gasoline additive.

The Clean Air Act of I990 made mandatory the use of oxygenated fuels in areas with elevated carbon monoxide levels. Ethanol has since been added to gas to aerate, increase octane and emission efficiency.

EI 0 is the most frequently us~d combination. It consists of 90 percent gasoline and IO percent ethanol. Most engines will accept the use of up to 15 percent ethanol without adjustment.

E85, 85 percent ethanol, and E90, 90 percent ethanol. are becoming more and more popular, particularly in the midwest where an increasing number of stations are carrying it. Most American cars made after 2002 will accept E85 and E90 without conversion. Stations are popping up all over the midwest and along the east coast.

Hydrogen-fueled vehicles are another promising alternative, according to the AFDC. Hydrogen, produced in unlimited quantities, can be used both in its pure state and mixed with natural gas. Although hydrogen will not get you as far as its gasoline equivalent, car enthusiasts