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Well, it is not really oil that is the problem, rather that the mechanics of a engine, and the combustion of the fuel in the engine .
Some engines do not do well with other fuels, as someone else said that Hydrogen crystallizes ( kind of like small granular particles ) in a engine ( kind of like trowing sand or grit into the engine ( not good at all ).
Grit, dirt, sand, abrasives in a engine would most surely cause a early end to a engine.
The mechanical parts of a engine must run clean to last and run efficiently.
Crude Oil is not only used to make fuels for cars, trucks, internal combustions engines, but, the oil is also use to make lubricants, to lubricate the metal parts of a engine.
Another problem with engines is heat.
Heat can destroy a engine just as much as it not being lubricated, or dirt, grime, sand, abrasives in a engine.
Maybe the solution will come when a totally new kind of engine or propulsion system is invented, that would do away with the internal combustion engine.
Before the car or internal combustion engine, ... water, wind, was used for propulsion, or harnessing it's power to run things like grain mills, pull ships, push ships.
The steam engine was close to a gasoline internal engine ( as in , it had a piston to push the push rod, and then it would cause the crank shaft to turn ) but it run off of steam.
However, the steam engine it has it's own set of problems, most of all hauling all of that wood, coal, and water around to make it feasible.
And the steam engine had it's safety problems as well.
In a internal combustion engine, you have the cylinder, piston, connecting rod, crank shaft, cylinder head, spark plug, oil pump ( those are the main parts for it to run other than the carburetor or fuel injection system ).
When the engine breaths in the air and fuel mixture, the piston goes down.
Then, when it comes back up, it compresses the air and fuel mixture.
Just before the piston tops out near the spark plug and cylinder head you have ignition ( this is were the spark plug has it's spark ) and the fuel ignites or is combusted, or explosion.
Then the piston is forced down the cylinder at great forces that pushes the connection rod down, and that pushes the crankshaft around and that's were you get the turning movement that turns the crankshaft into the turning force that the transmission receives.
When the piston comes back up the 2 nd time, the valve in the cylinder head opens up and let's out the burnt fuel or exhaust gases so the engine can breath to run the cycle again.