Why does electricity alternative

Flexible Fuel Vehicles. Hydrogen is a potentially emissions- free alternative fuel that can be produced from domestic resources for use in fuel cell vehicles. Fuel Cell Vehicles. Natural gas is a domestically abundant gaseous fuel that can have significant fuel cost advantages over gasoline and diesel fuel.

Natural Gas Vehicles. Propane is a readily available gaseous fuel that has been widely used in vehicles throughout the world for decades. Propane Vehicles. These fuels may be used in a dedicated system that burns a single fuel, or in a mixed system with other fuels including traditional gasoline or diesel, such as in hybrid-electric or flexible fuel vehicles. Some vehicles and engines are designed for alternative fuels by the manufacturer.

Others are converted to run on an alternative fuel by modifying the engine controls and fueling system from the original configuration. In PEVs , onboard rechargeable batteries store energy to power one or more electric motors. These batteries are charged using electricity from the grid and energy recaptured during braking, known as regenerative braking. Vehicles that run only on electricity produce no tailpipe emissions, but there are upstream emissions associated with the production of electricity.

Powering PEVs with electricity is currently cost effective compared to using gasoline, but PEVs typically cost more to purchase. However, initial vehicle costs can be offset by energy cost savings, a federal tax credit, and state incentives. The higher cost of hydrogen on an energy equivalent basis is outweighed by the greatly increased efficiency of the electric drive system relative to the internal combustion engine. Natural gas, when used as a transportation fuel, can emit up to 25 percent less carbon per unit energy than conventional gasoline and can be sourced domestically.

Natural gas is currently used in many transit buses, short-haul commercial trucks and some other vehicle fleets. Use in passenger vehicles is hindered by the added space needed for fuel storage and the limited availability of retail fueling stations, but has been explored by at least one major automaker. A cleaner generation of diesel fuels and advanced diesel engines together are achieving emission levels that approach those of low-emission gasoline-powered engines, while diesel-powered vehicles can get more than 25 percent better fuel economy than comparable gasoline models.

In the United States, diesel fuel is primarily used for trucks, buses, and trains. Half of all passenger vehicles in Europe, however, run on diesel and clean diesel technology may lead to expanded use in U.