--- title: What Does the Future of Automotive Biofuels Look Like? description: Bio-based fuels will play a huge role in the future of sustainable transportation worldwide. Here's what the future of alternative fuels might look like. image: https://info.noahtech.com/hubfs/The%20Future%20of%20Biofuels.jpg --- [(210) 691-2000](tel:+1-210-691-2000) [![Logo2](https://info.noahtech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo2.png?width=300&height=124&name=Logo2.png "Logo2")](http://noahchemicals.com) - [Home](https://noahtech.com/) - [Products](https://noahtech.com/products) - [About Us](https://noahtech.com/about-us) - [Contact](https://noahtech.com/contact) - [Home](https://noahtech.com) - [Product Search](https://noahtech.com/products) - [Our Products](https://noahtech.com/our-products) - [About Us](https://noahtech.com/about-us) - [Mission Statement](https://noahtech.com/about-us/mission-statement-and-quality-policy) - [News & Blog](https://noahtech.com/blog) - [Resources](https://noahtech.com/about-us/resources) - [Newsletter](https://info.noahtech.com/newsletter) - [Custom Manufacturing](https://noahtech.com/about-us/custom-manufacturing) - [FAQs](https://noahtech.com/about-us/faqs) - [Customer Support](https://info.noahtech.com/customer-support) - [Contact](https://noahtech.com/contact) - [Special Request Form](https://noahtech.com/about-us/mission-statement-and-quality-policy) - [Request a Quote](https://info.noahtech.com/request-a-quote) - [Customer Support](https://info.noahtech.com/customer-support?_ga=2.105203267.1728866925.1585494791-2131920613.1585264299) - [OpenCart Footer](https://noahtech.com/oc-footer) - [Quality Assurance](https://noahtech.com/quality-assurance) - [Credit Application](https://noahtech.com/credit-application) - [Thank you](https://noahtech.com/credit-application/thank-you) - [Privacy](https://noahtech.com/privac) - [Sitemap](https://noahtech.com/sitemap) - [Request a Quote](https://noahtech.com/request-a-quote) - [Landing page](https://noahtech.com/landing-page) - [Industries](https://noahtech.com/industries-1) [Request a Quote](https://noahchemicals.com/request-a-quote/) [Request a Quote](https://info.noahtech.com/request-a-quote?_ga=2.40772194.1728866925.1585494791-2131920613.1585264299) ![banner](https://info.noahtech.com/hubfs/NoahTech_April2020/img/banner.jpg) # What Does the Future of Automotive Biofuels Look Like? Diane Milner Jun 19, 2017 9:25:00 AM ![The Future of Biofuels.jpg](https://info.noahtech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Future%20of%20Biofuels.jpg?width=750&height=682&name=The%20Future%20of%20Biofuels.jpg) The future of cars almost certainly lies in biofuels. But what is the future of biofuels themselves? Biofuels, [roughly defined](https://www.nrel.gov/workingwithus/re-biofuels.html) as liquid energy products converted from renewable biomass sources, power [over $100 billion](http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170322005972/en/Global-Biofuels-Market-Outlook-2016-2021---Market) of the world’s energy market. Their adoption is growing at a rapid pace, particularly as automotive production and infrastructure catches up. What’s in store for automotive biofuels? ***Hydrogen Continues to Gain Ground*** The use of hydrogen gas to power vehicles shows promise as one solution to the global greenhouse emissions crisis. Hydrogen, itself a naturally abundant element, produces [no harmful emissions](https://info.noahtech.com/blog/how-chemistry-is-making-cars-more-sustainable) on its own. Currently, the biggest pain-points among more widespread adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles include a lack of commercially-manufactured hydrogen vehicles as well as a dearth of infrastructure, as hydrogen storage is itself a complex logistical problem. Some locales, [namely California](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/18/automobiles/wheels/first-came-the-hydrogen-cars-now-the-refilling-stations.html?_r=0), are making huge strides to subsidize and normalize the presence of this kind of green power. ***The Energy Challenge of Biomass*** Although biofuels are carbon neutral, the *process* of transforming and transporting them is anything but. There are significant production processes required to turn biomass (corn, plant oils, wood chips) into usable biofuels. Widespread adoption of biofuels threatens to eat into existing processes utilizing many of the same materials, such as the processes of food and feedstock production. Scientists are working on streamlining this process by studying how to globalize the production of ethanol from cellulose, itself a bio product. [Biodiesel](http://biodiesel.org/what-is-biodiesel/biodiesel-basics), typically made of vegetable oils, is also slowly making headway towards replacing much of the diesel fuel used to power vehicles outside North America. ***Are Alternative Biofuels the Future?*** In addition to [first generation biofuel](http://biofuel.org.uk/types-of-biofuels.html) materials such as starches (bioalcohol, butanol) and oils (vegetable oil, help oil), second generation biofuels are also gaining foothold. Cellulosic ethanol, made from wood chips and other recyclable wood material, is clean and readily available. [Dimethylfuran](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032114007722) is derived from a fructose found in some fruits and vegetables and has been extensively studied over the past half-decade as an alternative to traditional ethanol. Even algae, a high-yield energy alternative derived from seaweed, is showing promise as a fuel for both vehicles and jet propulsion. When, exactly, [biofuels will overtake conventional fossil fuels](https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/future-fuels-what-will-power-tomorrows-cars/) as the primary driver of automotive technology has yet to be seen. Predictably, there is much pushback to their adoption by oil interests around the globe, although their slow march to inevitability proceeds. **Noah Chemicals** has a vested interest in the biofuels space. Our high-purity chemicals are used by chemists around the U.S. to study [alternative fuel production](https://info.noahtech.com/blog/sustainable-automotive-chemistry) and processing; we believe that the future of automotive transportation may be chemical. **Want to learn more?** [**Contact our chemists today**](https://www.noahchemicals.com/request-a-quote) **to discuss your biofuel application and how we can help.** [Contact Us Today!](https://www.noahchemicals.com/contact-us) For custom ordering, click[here](https://www.noahchemicals.com/special-request-form). For general questions and concerns, click[here](https://www.noahchemicals.com/customer-support). [Here](https://www.noahchemicals.com/about-noah?tab=--faq--) are our FAQs. [Automotive Chemistry](https://info.noahtech.com/blog/topic/automotive-chemistry) ## Read On ### [The Chemical Reaction that Might Replace Gasoline Is conventional gasoline set to go the way of the Dodo bird? Maybe, if chemists have anything to...](https://info.noahtech.com/blog/chemical-reaction-replace-gasoline) ### [Chemistry is Propelling Space Travel into the Future Chemistry and space travel have always been inextricably linked. The first manned mission to the...](https://info.noahtech.com/blog/chemistry-is-propelling-space-travel-into-the-future) ### [3 Ways Polymers Are Making Cars Better Polymers – chemical chains made up of many repeating elements – are having a moment. Polymers are...](https://info.noahtech.com/blog/polymers-make-cars-better) ![](https://info.noahtech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/May%202021%20-%20new%20images/tri-icon.png?width=100&name=tri-icon.png) ### QUALITY MATTERS Noah Technologies Corporation is committed to continually improving all of our processes and services. We do this in order to provide quality inorganic and specialty chemicals to our customers so that we exceed their requirements. 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