Sustainable Fuels in Private Transportation–Present and Future Potential – Chapter by Tamás Mizik 

Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions is one of the greatest challenges the world faces. Humanity is in the age of modern transportation, where a key issue is what can and should be used to fuel our vehicles. Fossil energy sources are limited; therefore, it is crucially important to research every possible alternative fuel. Ethanol offers a promising answer (mature technology, octane booster, less negative environmental effects, etc.) Biodiesel has similar characteristics for diesel engines, especially when used oils are recycled for production. Besides biofuels, further promising renewable alternatives are electricity, biogas, and green hydrogen. All of them provide advantages; however, they also have shortcomings. Regarding pros, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and their renewable nature are the most advantageous. Cons vary among these alternative fuels. In the case of the current biofuel generations, food vs fuel production is the major problem. Fast charging, a limited range, and the number of fueling stations are the Achilles heels of electric cars. Besides, the plug-in vehicle fleet still has a marginal share within the global vehicle stock. The growth of biofuels will outpace electricity even in the next decade. Green hydrogen has high production costs, while biogas production is limited by the available raw materials. Moreover, the use of these gases requires special pumps at gas stations, as well as the modifications of the vehicles’ fuel tanks. However, achieving higher sustainability in private transportation is essential. This subchapter provides an overview of these alternative fuels by showing their advantages and disadvantages and comparing them to fossil fuels.