| Widely available |
Escalating costs. Harmful emissions. Heavily dependent upon imported oil. |
| Widely available |
Escalating costs. More toxic than gasoline. Heavily dependent upon imported oil. |
| Domestically produced fuel manufactured from a range of vegetable oils and animal fats. Can be used in diesel engines—typically used as a blend, such as B20 [20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum biodiesel]. |
Increases NOx emissions. Displaces some petroleum, but still heavily dependent upon imported oil. |
| Domestically produced—not dependant upon foreign oil. Abundant supply. One of the cleanest-burning alternative fuels available. Produces significantly lower amounts of emissions, pollutants and greenhouse gases. Entirely renewable in the form of biomethane/biogas. |
National fueling infrastructure requires further development. |
| No tailpipe emissions. Lower maintenance costs than gasoline-powered vehicles. |
Very expensive. Pollution from coal generating plants. Battery storage technology requires further development. |
| Effective solution for light-duty vehicles. Gasoline engine combined with batteries/electric motor increases MPG, reducing some fuel consumption and emissions. |
Experimental for heavy-duty vehicles. Gasoline used subject to escalating costs and dependence upon foreign oil. Harmful emissions from gasoline. |
| Domestically produced—reduces dependence upon foreign oil. Alcohol-based liquid fuel derived from plant biomass, primarily corn. Typically used in Flex Fuel vehicles as a blend of E85 [85% ethanol and 15% gasoline]. |
Requires massive use of cropland to supply meaningful power. Has less energy per gallon than gasoline. |
| Produced from natural gas processing and crude oil refining. |
Production limited. Inefficient use of feedstock. Heavier than air, dangerous to use. Costs prone to seasonal price fluctuation. Niche market in rural areas. |
| Would address concerns about energy security, global climate change and air quality. |
Hydrogen-fueled vehicle development and fuel processing technology just getting underway. |
