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Motor vehicles using gasoline and diesel fuel are major contributors to atmospheric pollution. There are several alternative fuels that are potentially cleaner than current gasoline and diesel fuel. Exhaust emission measurements of regulated and non-regulated pollutants using a number of alternative fuels including low level alcohol-gasoline blends, natural gas, propane, and methanol in selected vehicles show certain environmental/air quality benefits and indicate future potential to further reduce the motor vehicle emissions.

Regina Transit has operated two ethanol fuelled buses since March 1991. On-road performance and operator acceptance has been good, with few maintenance problems. Volumetric fuel consumption is close to twice that of similar diesel buses. In comparison to a similar diesel bus, emissions tests on a chassis dynamometer have shown reductions in NOx and Particulate emissions over four typical test cycles. However, in three cases CO emissions were higher. OMHCE emissions were consistently higher, largely due to the level of unburned ethanol in the exhaust. The buses were not fitted with catalytic converters at the time of testing.