Introduction
Bio-Ethanol
Frequently Asked Questions
Fascinating Facts

A wide range of alternative fuels and power sources have potential motorsport applications and some are already in use:

Alcohol fuels have a long motorsport history most notably in the USA where the high profile Champcar and Indy Racing League series cars have raced on methanol since the 1960s. Alcohol fuels such as ethanol and methanol are often obtained from fossil fuels but may be considered as eco-friendly if they are made from renewable resources

The high resistance of alcohol fuels to pre-ignition improves engine efficiency by allowing higher compression ratios to be used than would be the case with gasoline. Alcohol fuels greater oxygen content than gasoline, burn cleaner and create lower emissions. The main drawback of alcohol fuels is their lower calorific value leading to the need for increased fuel flow and tankage. Other issues include the effects of acids and gums in the fuels on engine internals.

Bio-diesel and bio-alcohol fuels such as ethanol and methanol can be made from renewable resources including crops and waste materials for example crop waste and even sewage. These fuels offer some of the best opportunities for reducing over all carbon emissions.

Various attempts at using diesel as a racing fuel have been made in the past. In the 1950s diesel cars raced at Indianapolis and Le Mans and in the 1990s BMW and Volkswagen achieved success in touring car endurance races with diesel power. The principal attraction diesel fuel is an economy advantage of as much as 25% relative to gasoline allowing fewer pit stops to be made for refueling.

However due to the very high internal pressures generated inside a diesel engine they are by necessity strong and heavy structures. Emissions are also an issue. High density fuels necessary for improved calorific content lead to increased particulate emissions. Lower density fuels result in reduced engine performance.

A hybrid vehicle uses two sources of energy for its power.  The most common is a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine.  In a hybrid electric vehicle the electric power can come from battery packs that may be replenished using regenerative braking.  This method of storing and recovering energy that would normally be wasted as heat by the vehicle brakes has the potential to significantly reduce the fuel consumption of racing cars.  However, the weight of current electric systems is high and this is a key area for future development to enable higher power transmission at lower weight.

Another option is a mechanical hybrid system based on high speed flywheel technology.  Instead of electric motors and batteries this type of system stores the regenerated braking energy in a spinning flywheel connected to the transmission of the vehicle using a continuously variable transmission.  Although currently in the early stages of development this technology has the potential for higher power and lower weight than current electric solutions.  It is currently being developed for the 2009 Formula One season and could be available to other motorsport series in the next few years. 

The development of hydrogen fuel even for road use is still in its infancy. Hydrogen's advantages of low emissions and its renewable, non-fossil origin are currently offset by low energy density and practical disadvantages. Hydrogen gas requires storage at pressures of 300 bar and above while hydrogen liquid needs to be stored at extreme low temperatures, around -253 degrees C. These considerations would seem to make the use of hydrogen as a race fuel unlikely at present. However alternative methods of generating hydrogen currently under development, such as electrolysis, could change this outlook.

In 1998 LPG was used as a race fuel in the UK in the Vauxhall Vectra Challenge one-make race series and the car using the gas fuel was sufficiently competitive to win races. As a by- product of the process by which oil is converted to gasoline LPG cannot be considered a renewable fuel but it is an under used resource. LPG's calorific content is similar to gasoline, it mixes well with air and contains no lead or sulphur making it a clean energy source relative to gasoline and diesel. LPG assumes a liquid state at pressures of 2 bar and above which raises issues of safety when refueling cars at the track.

CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) offers similar advantages to LPG but increased safety concerns in that as a gas it is stored at pressures of 160-200 bar or as a liquid at a temperature of -160 degrees C.