Alternative fuels that have been catching the imagination recently are ethanol and biodiesel. And technology is beginning to show us what the fuel cell can do. But there are still more alternatives: compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas.
These alternatives are not new to the market. But it seems that they may have fallen through the cracks, so to speak, because of the promotion of ethanol, biodiesel and the fuel cell.
Despite the fact that these alternatives may be under the radar, the sale of conversion kits which allow these gases to be used have risen worldwide. According to DueMotori, For example, nearly three million liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion kits were sold worldwide in 2006. And experts are guessing that sales of these kits will reach around eight million by 2012.
Currently, aftermarket sales of the conversion kits are dominating and account for about 85 percent of total kit sales worldwide. Still, original equipment or OEM kit sales are expected to increase and could reach 27 percent of the total sold by 2012. Many are sold in such countries as India, Pakistan, the European Union, and Iran. India and Iran alone account for 20 percent of global sales of CNG kits in 2006.
Our take? The point is there are other alternative fuels around that seem to be doing quite well in certain segments of the world. The more alternatives that are actively used, the more we will be able to combat carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and particulate matter. And the result is a much cleaner environment and assure what Louis Armstrong used to sing, “a beautiful world.”
|