Comm /215 Final Research Paper

For years environmentalists have been screaming about going green, recycling and reusing products, and so forth. So the idea of our vehicles using alternative fuel sources would be a welcomed change. With the dozen of vehicles and fuel sources being introduced, it is now a possibility to add alternative fuel vehicles to our rental car fleet. Through this presentation, gasoline and alternative fuel vehicles will be fully outlined; the history, the sources of fuel, and consumer incentives will all be explained. Gasoline vehicles

Gasoline powered vehicles are the types of vehicles that are commonly used around the world. Gasoline powered vehicles utilize an internal combustion power train. Power train refers to the group of components within the vehicle that generates power. Internal combustion engines are typically associated with gasoline even though variations of the internal combustion engine can be fueled by other sources. The main stream alternative to gasoline is diesel fuel. History of gasoline vehicles

Self-propelled vehicles have been around 1672 but were not introduced to mainstream America until 1902. Older vehicles were powered by steam engines which gave way to the internal combustion engines that are powered by either gasoline or diesel fuel. Diesel fuel and gasoline both cause air pollution and also play a role in global warming. The ever increasing cost of oil along with the restrictions on greenhouse gases and environmental laws is now pressing the world to create safe alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuel. Green vehicles

A green vehicle is any car, bus, or mode of transportation that uses alternative fuel sources. Fossil fuels were once thought to be a convenient fuel source, discovered after alternative fuel was already in use. By purchasing or converting a vehicle to run on alternative fuel, green vehicles can once again be on the rise. “Let’s Go Green”! has been the slogan for the past couple of years as scientists search for a solution to reduce the pollutants emitted into the earth’s atmosphere by the assortment of vehicles driven every day. Among the practice of carpooling and taking advantage of public transportation, a whole new fleet of green vehicles has emerged. History of green vehicles

The history of alternative fuel vehicles can be dated as far back as the early 1900’s. One man in particular, Rudolf Diesel, can be credited of introducing the world to the first prototype compressed engine using peanut oil. Vegetable oils were used up until the mid to late 1900’s and Diesels engine was altered to use petroleum diesel. Americans are always on the lookout for something new and fast and the preference for alternate fuel was replaced by the oil used in cars today. Economic concerns as well as fossil fuel shortages and global climate scares are slowly pushing alternative fuel use back into the light. History of rental cars

The beginning of rental cars is unknown. But many believe that the first legitimate rental car agency began with the Model T, the first mass-produced automobile. Supposedly, the first rental agency belonged to a Nebraskan man named Joe Saunders, who would rent his Model T out for ten cents a mile. Saunders would use a mileage meter to determine how far his car had been driven. The story has it that Saunders’ first rental went to a traveling salesman who wanted to impress a girl on a date. However it started, Saunders definitely had the first tremendously successful car-rental agency. By 1925, his business had a total of rental agencies in 21 states. However, the Great Depression led to many people no longer needing rental cars, and Saunders went bankrupt. Cost and sources of fuel for gasoline vehicles

Rental companies usually buy their vehicles directly from the vehicles’ manufacturer. For example, buying a 2011 Ford Focus sedan from the dealer would cost a person $16,640 but buying multiple…