The Future of Fuels 2023: Pick a Lane

Like a knee-jerk reaction, when gasoline prices rise to $4 or more per gallon, alternative fuels dominate the conversation. Researchers have been working for years on alternatives to gasoline-fueled, internal-combustion engines. First came vehicles powered by biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, followed by plug-in hybrids, natural gas, propane or liquid petroleum gas. And there are pure electric vehicles. Hydrogen may be an outlier, but its promise as the cleanest fuel of the future cannot be ignored. Several fuels have found a place at many convenience-store forecourts. Retailers see things as far from settled, however. Progress is evident, but solutions are slow. Here’s where things stand today …