An alternative fuel vehicle is a vehicle that runs on a fuel other than "traditional" petroleum fuels (petrol or diesel); and also refers to any technology of powering an engine that does not involve solely petroleum (e.g. electric car, hybrid electric vehicles, solar powered). Due to a combination of heavy taxes on fuel, particularly in Europe; tightening environmental laws, particularly in California; the potential for peak oil, and the possibility of further restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, work on alternative power systems for vehicles has become a high priority for governments and vehicle manufacturers around the world.

Hybrid electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius are not actually alternative fuel vehicles, but through advanced technologies in the electric battery and motor/generator, they make a more efficient use of petroleum fuel. The first hybrid vehicle available for sale in the United States was the Honda Insight, achieving around 70 miles per gallon (3.4 liters per 100 km). Other research and development efforts in alternative forms of power focus on developing fuel cells and even the stored energy of compressed air.

Between 2008 and 2009 there were around 35 million alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles in the world roads, representing around 5% of the world's automobile fleet. This alternative fuel fleet is made up mainly of:

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The Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC, formerly known as the Alternative Fuels Data Center) provides a wide range of information and resources to enable the use of alternative fuels (as defined by the Energy Policy Act of 1992), in addition to other petroleum reduction options such as advanced vehicles, fuel blends, idle reduction, and fuel economy.

Some of these sites are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities initiative.

Vehicles
Use these tools to learn about the effect your vehicle has on the environment and the potential savings of more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Cost Estimators

• Hybrid Electric Vehicle Cost Calculator
• Compare single vehicle and fleet costs of hybrid electric vehicles to costs of conventional vehicles. From the U.S. Department of Energy
• Save Money: Calculate Fuel Costs and Compare Savings
• Calculate the fuel cost differences between vehicles with different fuel efficiencies. From the U.S. Department of Energy

• Gas Mileage Impact Calculator
• Compare the environmental impact of conventional cars with that of hybrid electric cars. From hybridcars.com

More Alt Energy Vehicle Info

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