Alternative fuel vehicles – a real solution for sustainable development?

Laura Ionescu ()
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Laura Ionescu: Universitatea Spiru Haret, Facultatea de Finante si Banci

No 2009/152, Papers from Osterreichish-Rumanischer Akademischer Verein

Abstract: Research and development on alternative power systems for vehicles has become a high priority for governments and vehicle manufacturers around the world. There are many reasons for this, including heavy taxes on fuel, particularly in Europe; tightening environmental laws, particularly in California; the potential for peak oil, and the possibility of further restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. There are many types of alternative fuels available on the market, some of them still under development. In this paper, we will focus on four mature technologies: electricity, compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen and ethanol. We will compare vehicles powered by these technologies with the gasoline-based vehicles, looking at many aspects such as costs, impact on the environment, overall efficiency. While the jury is still out there which of the alternative fuels are better or the best, there is a strong belief that the gasoline powered vehicles need to be replaced in the short to medium term in order to achieve a sustainable development and an increase in the quality of life. Based on the data, we also believe that government intervention is critical in order to provide financing for research and tax incentives for the manufacturers and consumers.

Paper: http://ccefa.spiruharet.ro/materiale/dder.pdf

Keywords: alternative fuel; sustainable development; greenhouse gas emissions; energy efficiency; environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 8 pages
Date: 2009-12-12
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:sphedp:2009_152

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