Alternative Fuel Vehicles You Can Buy Today From the earliest days of the automotive industry alternative fuels have always competed with petroleum for powering vehicles. Nicholas Cugnot made the first self-powered road vehicle in 1769 with a steam engine, and the first gasoline automobile didn"t appear until over 100 years later from Karl Benz. Through the late 19th and early 20th century steam and electric power remained strong contenders. The invention of the self-starter for gasoline engines by Cadillac eventually proved the undoing of the early steam cars, which required warming up. Electric cars continued to be produced for a...
retails ethanol blends at over 60 UPI Inc., FS and Co-op gasbars and cardlocks. They are available in all grades of gasoline and for on-farm delivery. On January 1, 1998, Sunoco Inc. launched ethanol-enhanced fuels at all its 275 retail outlets in Ontario. In eastern Ontario and western Quebec, MacEwen Petroleum Inc. is retailing ethanol blends at over 60 locations. Fuel ethanol retailing has expanded into Quebec with over 100 Sonic stations and other independent retail outlets. Other companies that have joined in the retailing of ethanol-blended fuels include Mr. Gas, Pioneer Petroleum, Frances Fuels, Stinson Petroleum and Sunys.