Automobile Fuel

A material, generally a liquid fuel, gasoline, or distillate, whose combustion is used to supply chemical energy to provide the power for an automotive vehicle.

5 Most Common Types of Fuel
  • Gasoline.
  • Diesel Fuel.
  • Bio-diesel.
  • Ethanol.
  • Autogas (LPG).

Gasoline, also spelled gasolene, also called gas or petrol, mixture of volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbons derived from petroleum and used as fuel for internal-combustion engines. It is also used as a solvent for oils and fats.

Currently, the majority of motor vehicles worldwide are powered by gasoline or diesel. Other energy sources include ethanol, biodiesel, propane, compressed natural gas (CNG), electric batteries, and hydrogen (either using fuel cells or combustion). There are also cars that use a hybrid of different power sources.

Diesel engines have very high compression ratios. That is why it is used as a fuel for heavy motor vehicles.

Autogas (LPG)

Autogas is the common name for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) when it is used as a fuel in internal combustion engines in vehicles as well as in stationary applications such as generators. It is a mixture of propane and butane.

Autogas is widely used as a "green" fuel, as its use reduces CO 2 exhaust emissions by around 15% compared to petrol. One litre of petrol produces 2.3 kg of CO 2 when burnt, whereas the equivalent amount of autogas (1.33-litre due to lower density of autogas) produces only 1.5 * 1.33 = 2 kg of CO 2 when burnt. CO emissions are 30% lower, compared to petrol and NO x by 50%. It has an octane rating (MON/RON) that is between 90 and 110 and an energy content (higher heating value HHV) that is between 25.5 megajoules per litre (for pure propane) and 28.7 megajoules per litre (for pure butane) depending upon the actual fuel composition.

Autogas is the third most popular automotive fuel in the world, with approximately 16 million of 600 million passenger cars powered using the fuel, representing less than 3% of the total market share. Approximately half of all autogas-fueled passenger vehicles are in the five largest markets (in descending order): Turkey, South Korea, Poland, Italy, and Australia.