An EV alternative? Chevron will make a new, renewable fuel for gas-powered cars in MS

Mary Perez
·3 min read
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They set off on a road trip last week from Pascagoula, Mississippi through Louisiana to Texas to show the potential of a new fuel that could be an affordable alternative to electric vehicles.

Chevron developed the fuel that is 40% less carbon intensive than conventional gasoline.

Toyota supplied the vehicles to show the fuel works in a passenger car, an SUV and a pickup truck.

Even with the recent push to convert to electric vehicles, 95% of the cars and trucks on the road in the United States still run on gasoline, said Alan Sudduth, manager of public and governmental affairs at Chevron Pascagoula.

With almost 300 million cars and trucks on the road, the benefits of using this new blend would see lower carbon emissions faster and more economically than switching to electric vehicles, he said.

Here are more the things to know about this new fuel:

What’s in the fuel?

The new gasoline blend is made with more than 50 percent renewable content from soybean oil, fats and greases and other products.

“We could use things that don’t directly impact the food industry,” Sudduth said.

Chevron also is investing in cover crops that are planted between seasons that could be used to make the fuel and directly help farmers.

A road trip using Chevron-produced alternative fuel and Toyota vehicles traveled across the Gulf Coast to demonstrate the alternative fuel.
A road trip using Chevron-produced alternative fuel and Toyota vehicles traveled across the Gulf Coast to demonstrate the alternative fuel.

New fuel vs. electric

While electric vehicles have a role to play in lowering emissions, alternative fuel gives consumers a choice and has several advantages, Sudduth said. They include:

▪ Much lower cost for those who don’t want or can’t afford a new vehicle.

▪ Uses existing infrastructure. Similar to other special gasolines, “It probably would be a separate pump,” Sudduth said, since the fuel would be stored in a separate tank underground.

▪ Travel would be easier. Drivers wouldn’t have to stop for several hours on a trip to charge their vehicle.

▪ It doesn’t require any retrofit of existing vehicles to use the fuel and reduces the need to increase electrical supplies.

Is it available now?

The alternative fuel isn’t available yet, but Sudduth said the road trip and alliance with Toyota are to show there are options.

Chevron won’t know the cost of the fuel until the policies are in place to allow the fuel to be sold.

“Likely it will cost a little more to make because it’s special,” Sudduth said.

Chevron already has renewal diesel on the market and like other energy companies is working on other technologies and hydrogen fueling.

Chevron Pascagoula has the capacity to produce this new fuel, Sudduth said.

Government must buy into new fuel

The federal government is pushing for Americans to switch to electric vehicles, yet last year only 6% of the new passenger vehicles sold were electric.

This new fuel is an affordable, reliable cleaner energy for a growing world, Sudduth said.

With similar legislation and policy support to what the federal government has provided for electric vehicles, “We can have an immediate impact on lowering carbon in the transportation sector,” he said.

A road trip using Chevron-produced alternative fuel and Toyota vehicles traveled across the Gulf Coast to demonstrate the alternative fuel, which works in existing cars and trucks existing infrastructure.
A road trip using Chevron-produced alternative fuel and Toyota vehicles traveled across the Gulf Coast to demonstrate the alternative fuel, which works in existing cars and trucks existing infrastructure.