Buyer Guide: Petrol, Diesel or Alternative fuels?

Cars are changing rapidly and if you’re thinking of buying a new car, now is a good time to consider which fuel would be best for your particular type of use.

The European regulations that define exhaust emission limits for new cars (Euro 5 since 2009, and Euro 6) are becoming much more stringent, especially for diesel, in terms of reduction of particulate matter (tiny bits of soot) and oxides of nitrogen, both of which are blamed for causing breathing problems.

To meet these new regulations, car manufacturers have to fit extra emissions control equipment. This increases the cost of building the car, but can also makes it less suitable for certain types of use.

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Joe_Limon - 10/4/2010 10:03:23 AM

-1 Boost

3rd/4th gen bio fuel. It's carbon neutral and sustainable without needing food crops or food sustaining land.

truckman - 10/4/2010 12:08:55 PM

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I like the direct injection, it's almost as efficient as diesel and has more power in a lighter engine and almost definatly cheaper than a diesel to maintain.

Joe_Limon - 10/4/2010 5:29:02 PM

+1 Boost

you know... diesels are direct injection too right?

truckman - 10/4/2010 6:55:38 PM

+2 Boost

Yes I am aware of that, what is a 3 & 4th generation bio fuel? and how wouldn't it raise the price at the grocery market? This does sound interesting.

Joe_Limon - 10/4/2010 9:27:51 PM

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1st gen is the corn and other food crops which are converted into ethanol
2nd gen is using byproducts such as the corn stalks, wood etc, and convert those bio masses into ethanol
3rd gen is growing algae which captures carbon dioxide and uses sunlight to create oxygen and store the carbon as oil. If 0.4% of the usa was converted into an algae fields, all of the usa's current oil demands could be provided. To grow the algae you can flood and use barren waste land as it doesn't use nutrients from the soil.

Joe_Limon - 10/4/2010 9:28:55 PM

+1 Boost

and 4th gen refers to methods to refine biofuels to be interchangeable with traditional fuels.