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Fuel cell vehicles are the subject of extensive research and development because of their potential for high efficiency and low emissions. Because fuel cell vehicles remain expensive and the demand for hydrogen is therefore limited, very few fueling stations are being built. To try to accelerate the development of a hydrogen economy, some original equipment manufacturers (OEM) in the automotive industry have been working on a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine (ICE) as an intermediate step. Despite its lower cost, the hydrogen-fueled ICE offers, for a similar amount of onboard hydrogen, a lower driving range because of its lower efficiency. This paper compares the fuel economy potential of hydrogen-fueled vehicles to their conventional gasoline counterparts. To take uncertainties into account, the current and future status of both technologies were considered.

Ethanol has received both positive and negative attention as a renewable fuel for spark ignition engines. Studies of ethanol have shown improved volumetric efficiency, knock tolerance, and favorable burn curves[1]. Nevertheless, little research has been published exploring the impact of ethanol blends on race engine performance coupled with the impact on well-to-wheels (WTW) greenhouse gases, emissions, and petroleum reduction. In this work, a circle track race vehicle powered by a GM Performance Parts 6.2L OHV CT-525 engine was tested using 100 octane race fuel and E85 over a matrix of configurations. Carburetion vs. fuel injection configurations were benchmarked with both fuels, with the addition of 100- and 300-cells-per-inch catalytic convertors. Testing involved both dynamometer testing and on-track testing utilizing a portable emissions measurement system.

A fuel-cycle model-called the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model-has been developed at Argonne National Laboratory to evaluate well-to-wheels (WTW) energy and emission impacts of motor vehicle technologies fueled with various transportation fuels. The new GREET version has up-to-date information regarding energy use and emissions for fuel production activities and vehicle operations. In this study, a complete WTW evaluation targeting energy use, greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and N2O), and typical criteria air pollutants (VOC, NOX, and PM10) includes the following fuel options-gasoline, diesel, and hydrogen; and the following vehicle technologies-spark-ignition engines with or without hybrid configurations, compression-ignition engines with hybrid configurations, and hydrogen fuel cells with hybrid configurations.