<div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper aims to demonstrate the importance of considering fuel production and utilisation as inter-related components of a single process - the conversion of natural chemical energy into a usable form in an economic manner.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Taking automotive power generation as an example it is shown that this integrated approach can result in appreciable reductions in the rate of consumption of crude oil. If the alternative of producing automotive fuels from coal (using known technology) is examined, it becomes apparent that both the gasoline engine and diesel engine should be replaced by the spark assisted diesel engine in the interests of energy economy.</div>