The science of global warming.(News)

Automotive News Europe,  March, 2007  

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Byline: Harry Stoffer

One achievement of the past 120 years was learning how to burn gasoline and diesel fuel to propel cars. But scientists who study global warming say the process has a downside.

Here is how it works.

In simple terms, combustion splits apart the hydrogen and carbon atoms inside fuel molecules and unites them with oxygen from the air.

Although only a fraction of the energy from these chemical reactions - 15 percent to 20 percent under the best of circumstances - makes it to a vehicle's wheels, burning 5.5 liters of diesel fuel is enough to send a ...

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