Introduction The Lotus Rental Car’s Chief Financial Officer is making an assessment on the feasibility of adding alternative fuel vehicles to the fleet. This analysis will cover the Energy Act of 1992 concerning the alternative fuel sources, explain the pros and cons of using alternative fuel technology such as Hybrids, Battery power, Diesel, Biodiesel, and Natural Gas, and also the factors that will impact the American people having to find resources easily, which can be difficult.
Energy Act of 2005
As early as 2005 the United States knew that we could not rely on fossil fuels indefinitely and did not want to rely on foreign oil. The Energy Act of 2005 sec 301 defined what the Alternative Fuels are: Ethanol, Biodiesel, Propane, Natural Gas, Hydrogen, and Electricity are all naturally produced domestically in the US. Currently the US has learned that burning gasoline is bad for the environment, and when you burn gas you create bi products such as Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide. According to an EPA study the Green House gasses that affect out atmosphere are made up of 82% Carbon Dioxide, 3% Fluorinated Gas, 6% Nitrous Oxide, and 9% Methane.(Refer to graph 1). Overview of Green House Gases EPA.gov
As you can see the bulk of the emissions are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The global goal is to reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the world, not just in the US. The goal is to create a smaller carbon footprint on the planet Earth and slow down the rate of global warming.
Pros and Cons of alternative fuels
Hybrids
Hydrogen is currently being explored as an optional fuel source that can power an electric car or an internal combustion engine (ICE) using a fuel cell. It is environmentally friendly and does not release any greenhouse gases. Using hydrogen can potentially remove are reliance on