The electric motor is more than 90% more energy efficient than the combustion engines used by vehicles today. The ordinary combustion engine car today outputs 25 to 30% of the energy from its fuel in the tank. The electric propulsion makes vehicles more efficient and friendlier to the environment.

In 2007, only 2.2% of the market comprised hybrid cars. The automotive sector forecasts a 15% coverage by 2015. Major car manufacturers are gearing towards the development of EVs and the market is responding well with these green cars.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. is a Tier 1 provider of propulsion systems, alternative fuel cars, energy storage, and equipment supplier.

Quantum has developed an EREV or extended range electric vehicle which makes use of a hybrid plug in system. The Q Drive allows operation of vehicles in pure electric mode. This translates to around 50 miles of coverage in 1 charging. In the US this covers most of the daily trips and may lead to lower emissions in the future.

The Q Drive will be first used in the Fisker Automotive’s Karma. Fisker is a company co-founded by Quantum with auto design genius Henrik Fisker aiming to produce premium American cars. The company is looking at 15000 units of Fisker Karma to be produced starting 2011.

The Fisker Karma has a peak output of 200 kW consistent through out the battery charge. It also combines the EV technology with photovoltaic cells installed on its roof.

The plan is to convert wood biomass into biodiesel. This business opportunity is actually being studied by Norske Skog for two years now. And now, they are ready to make the plan happen. Norske Skog formed a subsidiary, the Xynergo to handle the company’s biodiesel division. Norske Skog owns 70% of that company while forest owners hold the remainder. The goal is to create biodiesel out of the woody biomass currently used as a feedstock. The production of Norske Skog is slated to start in April of the next year.

Norway is one of the world market leaders when it comes to pulp and paper production. Now, they are maximizing the use of their natural resources to further help the nation. This time, they are into producing fuel for vehicles out of the same materials used in making paper. Soon enough, they would be less dependent on imported oil just like other countries that have jumpstarted the production and integration of biodiesel in local fuel stations.

Jatropha is not an edible plant. It produces a rather poisonous sap and has a small, rounded fruit as big as a cherry. It is very abundant in Haiti and the entire Caribbean region. The seeds of Jatropha can produce oil, which can serve as the raw ingredient for biodiesel.

Right now, the U.S. and the rest of the nations interested in using alternative fuel are studying the characteristics of this plant in order to cultivate them in their own soils. Just recently, the U.S. has partnered with Brazil to help countries that enjoy the abundance of the Jatropha plant to process them into biodiesel. Such countries are Haiti, El Salvador, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Domican Republic. Once these countries became strong producers of biodiesel, it won’t be long for them to become independent of importing gasoline themselves.

The trend in the Schoharie County, as far as the vehicle industry, is to go green. With a pit stop now offering biodiesel, more car users should be tempted to use alternative fuel for their car.

Coming from renewable energy, biodiesel is much cleaner, more efficient, and a lot more popular these days. In fact, Pete Lopez, the assemblyman for the Schoharie Country is promoting its use. Furthermore, he uses no other fuel for his car.

Part of the plan of Schoharie County is to make all the operators and owners of the public buses to run only on biodiesel. If that one went smoothly, then the entire fleet of the county, especially the one used for public works, will be fueled by biodiesel alone.

With this development, it is clear to see that counties and the whole nation in general, is doing its share to promote alternative fuel that is more practical to use and is a lot more environment-friendly.

This makes the Volt as the latest addition to the potent collection of today’s biodiesel cars. Biodiesel gas, which is mockingly referred to as the frying pan fuel, is currently making raves today as the cheapest and most environment-friendly car fuel. It is even possible to make such a fuel out of your own home – all you really need is a good electric heater and the necessary compounds, of course.

However, the Volt is more of an electric car than anything else. The biodiesel fuel loaded to it is normally used as back up. General Motors say that the Volt can run on 40 miles on a full battery charge. Essentially, its battery cells can answer the daily mileage requirements of everyday car uses. Its biodiesel gas, on the other hand, can answer for the long ride requirements and for the usual mistake of forgetting to charge the car.

It can then be burned in combustible engines. There is still plenty of research that needs to be done in the area of biofuel. The process right now of converting it isn’t as effective as it should be. It is also extremely time consuming and expensive to do so.

Biofuel can be in the form of a liquid or a solid. Vegetable oil that is used as an alternative fuel source for some vehicles out there is a type of liquid biofuel. It can be natural or it can be reprocessed after it has been used. Some restaurants give their used vegetable oil to those that burn Biodiesel in their vehicles. Once it has been cleaned they are able to use it without harming their vehicle.

Some types of food items are grown in higher supply than the demand just so that ethanol can be produced. It is usually mixed with about 15% regular gasoline in order to make the mix work. It seems that many in the business of growing such food items though don’t always agree with this use of it. They feel the foods should be used to feed those in need.

Biofuel is most commonly found in the form of a solid though. For example burning wood falls into this category. You can use it to cook with and to heat your home instead of relying upon natural gas. The downside though is that this can emit dangerous elements into the environment.

So What is the advantages of Biofuels?

Here are some advantages of biofuels:Biodegradable, non toxic and easy to handle, Less of CO and Sulfur, carbon neutral, its made from renewable resources, clean fuels so its good for cars.

And There are any disadvantages of biofuels?

When I found the data about the advantages and disadvantages of biofuels, i found a really interesting article which said that biofuels will do more harm than good:”Scientists in the U.K. and U.S. have found that the cultivation of biofuels can increase the output of CO2 and other gases blamed for global warming because of changes in land use. U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week wrote to leaders of the Group of Eight nations to say the government is concerned that biofuels are pushing up food costs around the world.”

Oops that really big disadvantages of biofuels. Biofuels itself is really great, but the bad is the producing process of biofuels that still use Fossil Fuel, and that produce harmful gas for our Ozone, CO2, and that trigger really bad Global Warming Today.

Here is another disadvantages of biofuels and questionable of using biofuels:”When this is combined with the questionable energy balance of producing biofuels compared with the energy they save by being used in vehicles, the worth of biofuels remains in question. For example, oil can be pumped out of the ground and processed much more efficiently than biofuels can be grown and processed – though biofuels do substantially reduce carbon emissions.”

I think every one must be concern about those disadvantages of biofuels rather than the advantages one. If we concern with the disadvantages of using biofuels, we could do better in the future and could make many improvement to eliminate those disadvantages and left the advantages of Biofuels.