The ecological footprints of fuels

This article discusses the use of alternative fuels in the development of the environmentally friendly car and the promotion of sustainable mobility. Based on well-to-wheel analyses and ecological footprint assessments, this article confirms that the environmentally friendly car truly exists. There is substantial potential for reducing the ecological footprint within a decade by using both new and conventional technologies and alternative fuels. In the best-case scenario, a 75% reduction of the ecological footprint would be possible. However, promoting sustainable mobility requires more than just a strategy to develop the environmentally friendly car-it also requires a substitution strategy to encourage new means of transportation and a reduction strategy to reduce the growth of transport. Therefore, only a combination of these three strategies is compatible with long-term sustainability requirements. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.