There is a growing acceptance and awareness of the need to find alternative fuels to petrol and diesel for our vehicles.
Aside from the need to reduce our carbon emissions to help tackle the climate crisis, switching away from fossil fuels has many other benefits, including improved air quality and consequently public health, quieter roads and often lower fuel costs for motorists.
But what are the alternatives to petrol and diesel for our vehicles? There are four main contenders, some of which will be more familiar than others:
- Biofuels (biodiesel and bioethanol)
- Hydrogen
- LPG
- Electricity
Before we look at each of these in a bit more depth, let’s explore why we need to find alternative fuels for our vehicles in a bit more detail.
Why do we need alternative fuels?
The main driver for finding alternatives to petrol and diesel for our transportation is the climate crisis and the need to shift away from burning fossil fuels to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
However, there are other reasons why switching to vehicles that don’t rely on diesel or petrol is a good idea. First and foremost, as 2026 has shown us, is the price. Geopolitical events outside of our immediate control have seen fossil fuel prices skyrocket.
Petrol prices in the UK hit close to 160p per litre on average in the UK in May this year, while diesel prices broke the 192p per litre threshold in April. This was a painful reminder for drivers as to why switching to vehicles with alternative fuel sources can be a good idea.
In addition, switching away from fossil fuels, which produce harmful emissions, will have dual benefits. It will improve air quality, which in turn will lead to improved public health outcomes.
What are the alternatives to fossil fuels?
As we mentioned, there are four main alternatives to fossil fuels at present:
- Biofuels (biodiesel and bioethanol)
- Hydrogen
- LPG
- Electricity
Biofuels (biodiesel and bioethanol)
Biofuels are a category of fuel that is made using organic materials. Biodiesel is produced using waste food products like animal fat and vegetable oil. Meanwhile, bioethanol is produced from crops such as sugarcane and corn.
Specialist equipment – including biofuel tanks, tank breather valves and pressure vacuum relief valves – is required to produce biofuels.
These kinds of fuels produce far fewer emissions than fossil fuels, and when they are made from what are called “second generation sources”, they are sustainable too. Second generation sources simply means from waste products rather than crops that could be used for food.
Can you put biofuel in a petrol or diesel car?
It’s quite likely that you already put biofuel in your car if you still have a petrol or diesel model! That’s because most modern fossil fuels are blended with biofuels to make them more sustainable.
Standard unleaded petrol will have up to a ten per cent biofuel composition, while standard diesel contains up to seven per cent biofuel.
So, although biofuel isn’t an option in its own right, it is still part of the fuel mix that keeps our cars and vans running.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen-fuelled cars have long been talked about but the technology is still a way of being commercially viable. The supporters of hydrogen cars point out that when hydrogen is burned, it produces no harmful emissions, only water vapour.
The hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road today are essentially electric vehicles (EVs), whose battery is powered by the reaction between oxygen and hydrogen.
They are often known as fuel cell electric vehicles, but they are not widely driven because there is insufficient infrastructure for refuelling with the necessary hydrogen.
LPG
Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is technically still a fossil fuel, because it is produced using by-products from oil production – butane and propane gas. You may have come across LPG in a stove, for instance.
However, you can convert your car to run on LPG if you are prepared to pay for the conversion. That said, it can be trickier to refuel with LPG as it is not as readily available as other fuel sources, although if you can you’ll find it cheaper than petrol and diesel.
Electricity
EVs have become increasingly common on the roads and many more drivers have likely made the switch or considered making the switch since petrol and diesel prices spiked earlier this year.
The main benefits of EVs are their zero emissions, how much quieter they are on the roads than older models and the fact that you can charge them at home. What’s more, the EV charging network in the UK has improved considerably in recent years in parallel with rising EV sales.
This also makes EVs much cheaper to run – especially if you can charge your car or van at home and take advantage of lower electricity rates by doing so outside of peak times.
