alternative fuel

American  

noun

1. a vehicular fuel that is not entirely derived from petroleum, as natural gas, hydrogen, or an alcohol mixture.

   the environmental benefits of alternative fuels.

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Etymology

Origin of alternative fuel

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Neither is ammonia—another alternative fuel that China dominates globally in production.

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

In addition to drivers losing access to carpool lanes, the change could slow the progress the state has made in getting more people into alternative fuel vehicles and reducing pollution.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025

Chemists have developed a novel way to capture and convert carbon dioxide into methane, suggesting that future gas emissions could be converted into an alternative fuel using electricity from renewable sources.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2024

Ministers have decided not to support the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for heating homes, though they say it will have an important role in and around industrial sites.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2024

The state also offers a tax waiver on clean alternative fuel vehicles, which applies only to new cars valued at $45,000 or less, or used that run $30,000 or less.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 4, 2024