The owners of Intergalactic Hydrogen have created a cottage industry by converting vehicles to run on hydrogen, CNG, propane, ethanol, biodiesel and other alternative fuels. The converted 2003 Hummer H2 is a vehicle that the Robinsons have been showing off for several years now.

Fred Robinson built a solar-powered home that he lives in near Stagecoach, Colorado so he practices what he preaches when it comes to alternative energy. One of the harsh realities that the Robinsons have had to deal with that as the gasoline prices dip so does interest in alternative fuel conversions.

Early this past summer, when gasoline was above $4 per gallon, interest was high and now that in many places in the country $2 per gallon or less is common there has been waning interest. But, doing nothing about weaning ourselves off crude oil when the prices are low will only lead to another crisis later.

The Robinsons know this. Not only do they sell alternative energy conversions but they also educate the public around the country about the necessities of getting off foreign oil.

On the Pickens Plan page, Fred Robinson talks about pursuing natural gas conversion projects (his next project is converting two diesel trucks) as a pathway towards a hydrogen fuel future. According to Robinson, “Hydrogen is our goal; that’s the one we want most. But we have to go through the others to get there.”

No matter whether it’s hydrogen, CNG, or other alternative fuels, the issue is to keep motivating the public of the necessity of going down this route. People naturally get lazy when the gasoline prices fall, so the Robinsons and others are working hard to overcome this lethargy and keep the ball rolling down the route to energy independence for all.

But, more so than individual owners of domestic cars, trucks and other vehicles, fleet managers have also been buying propane conversion kits to save on fuel costs. In addition, propane is better for the environment than gasoline as it has fewer emissions. Engines that run on propane also last longer with fewer carbon deposits and fewer oil changes as well.

There is a story today of how MedCorp of Toledo, Ohio has bought and installed propane conversion kits for its fleet of ambulances. The ambulances travel around 200 miles per day and the system pays for itself in about 9 months.

The city of Ashburn, Georgia has also turned to installing propane conversion kits in its government vehicles. Besides the cost and environmental benefits the City Manager Ben Taylor has found that propane has also increased the horsepower on their vehicles.

Newark, Ohio has also gotten into the propane game. The local Energy Cooperative has purchased its first truck powered by this alt fuel. The GMC C-5500 truck uses a factory installed propane conversion fuel injection kit delivered from Detroit, Michigan.

So, as you can see many people nationwide are getting high on propane. She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie – propane.

Ammonia is one of the most produced chemicals today and is primarily used in fertilizers for crops. Ammonia can also be recovered in significant quantities from the urine of farm livestock.

And, using ammonia as fuel is not a new concept. In 1869, Emile Lamm introduced the first ammonia-powered motor. Many other inventors would follow. In World War II, ammonia ran the buses in Belgium when fossil fuels were in short supply. Liquid anhydrous ammonia also ran the X-15 rocketplane.

In 2004, Zap Motors came out with a hydrogen fuel cell car that used an Ammonia Cracker to release the hydrogen to run the automobile. The Hydrogen Engine Center in Algona, Iowa has also developed an ammonia/hydrogen-fueled Oxx Power engine that burns cleanly.

Anhydrous ammonia can run in automobiles with few modifications and there is also a vast infrastructure partially in place for using this chemical in automobiles. On September 29 – 30, 2008, the Iowa Energy Center is holding the Ammonia As Fuel conference to talk about and make plans for this gasoline alternative.

Ammonia fuel is not as farfetched as it seems. There is more of a public relations issue holding it back from the transportation marketplace rather than significant technological challenges. Now is the time for people to get over the image of putting this “stinky chemical” in their cars and consider using anhydrous ammonia since it is far cheaper than the current price of gasoline.