There is a massive push to phase out fossil fuels and start making eco friendly cars mandatory. This should seriously reduce the greenhouse gases that are causing global warming. For many, this means switching to an electric car. But, that might not be feasible on a grand scale.
What gets ignored is that eco friendly doesn’t have to mean just electric. There are also biofuels that can be made that are renewable so they can be considered sustainable. Fossil fuels are finite and there is only so much that can be extracted. Even though biofuels and diesel do the same thing, the bio version at least can be replenished when needed.
This should be taken a look at as it could possibly help reduce the friction that implementing electric across the board will inevitably cause. In this article, we will take a look at both kinds of cars and see which one is likely to come out ahead.
Types of biofuels
There are two generations of biofuel. The first generation is largely made out of sugars, starches and some vegetable oil. This is an inefficient biofuel as it can cause a disruption in food supply. This would involve growing crops specifically to make biofuels such as HVO.
The second generation, which also includes HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) biofuels is made from waste so it is more sustainable and a much better option. Agricultural waste and non food crops are used to make this second generation biofuel so there is less of a strain on the food supply to create it. Since there is an abundance of used cooking grease, this makes the most sense to use.
Both of these types of fuels do add carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but it is less than fossil fuels. Depending on the type, they can produce almost 80% less CO2 than fossil fuels.
Electric cars
Though the first generation of electric cars fizzled out, there is a second wave happening now due to the advances in battery technology. Tesla has popularized electric cars so now there is also a growing infrastructure to match which then leads to more people adopting. We are even seeing commercial fleets of electric vehicles happening in big and small businesses.
Though electric vehicles are not 100% green, they produce a fraction of the greenhouse gases and waste that a combustion engine car does. Even compared to biofuel vehicles. The only greenhouse gases produced are in the actual manufacturing of the car, and the emissions produced from the power plants supplying electricity to your home where your car is plugged in.
The downsides are that there is a strict limit to how many miles can be traveled in a day on a full charge before needing to recharge. With biofuels, there is no limit since you can refuel in seconds compared to hours with an electric vehicle.
A huge benefit to electric vehicles, however, is how little maintenance is required. There is no real engine so the parts don’t get worn down like in a regular one.
