Alternative Fuels and Vehicles

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Alternative Fuel Vehicles

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Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), as defined by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), include any dedicated, flexible-fuel, or dual-fuel vehicle designed to operate on at least one alternative fuel. In addition, advanced technology vehicles (ATVs) can help achieve the goals of decreased petroleum use and increased energy security. ATVs include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles. A variety of vehicle models are available, including sedans, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, vans, shuttle buses, medium-duty vehicles (such as delivery trucks), heavy-duty buses, and heavy-duty trucks. AFVs can easily be used by individuals or in fleet applications. Incentives and grants are available to make them cost effective for both. 

The links above provide access to information on current alternative fuel vehicle models, their specifications, costs, and availability, as well as information on vehicle conversions and used vehicles. For a table of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles available in model year 2008, click on this link.

In addition to traditional alternative fuel vehicles, advanced "lean-burn" diesel vehicles present an opportunity to improve the efficiency of vehicles in use and open the door to the use of the renewable fuel biodiesel. For these reasons PSCCC supports the increased use of newer, cleaner diesel technology, particularly for those people and fleets with access to biodiesel. The Diesel Technology Forum has put together a fact sheet on these vehicles and a tax credit for which these vehicles may qualify. It remains to be seen which, if any, manufacturers will certify their new diesel vehicles for the tax credit and what the amount(s) of the credit(s) will be.

U.S. Department of Energy Resources:

• Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center: Vehicles Site - This site hosts a wealth of information on all types of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. The link takes you to the "table of contents" page from which you can link down into detail on various types of vehicles. There are also links to cost calculators for hybrids and flex-fuel vehicles as well as information on conversions.

• Department of Energy Vehicle Make/Model Database - In cooperation with auto manufacturers, the U.S. Department of Energy has developed several resources on available alternative fuel vehicles.  These resources include a database that can be searched by a particular vehicle model or by vehicle and fuel type. Separate databases exist for light- and heavy-duty vehicles as well as low speed vehicles.

• Resources for Fleet Applications - Certain so-called niche markets make a lot of sense for implementing AFVs and/or ATVs. This site focuses on those markets and provides a wealth of information for fleets considering starting or expanding an AFV/ATV program. There is information on the benefits of the vehicles, things to consider when implementing AFVs & ATVs, current applications and experiences of existing fleets and publications relevant to that niche market. It is a wealth of information that will save any fleet time and money as they consider introducing AFVs and ATVs.

• Fleet Experiences - This site features regularly updated stories on fleets using a variety of AFVs and ATVs. You can choose to read stories based on types of vehicles or fuel/technology. The stories can help you learn from others who have already implemented something you might be considering. The stories are updated and rotated on a regular basis so check back every so often for new stories.

Other Resources:

• DOE & EPA's FuelEconomy.gov Website -  DOE and EPA put together a fuel economy guide each model year, which is captured on this  great website. The site has an amazing amount of information on all things related to vehicle's fuel efficiency, petroleum use, carbon footprint and air emissions. The site has information on models going to back to 1985. In addition, this portion of the site is dedicated to vehicles that don't have to run on gasoline. You can search for vehicles powered by ethanol, diesel, natural gas, propane or electricity. Finally, this section allows you to search for hybrids from different model years.

• EPA's Green Vehicle Guide Website -  The website provides a searchable database of vehicles that lets you find the cleanest and/or highest mileage vehicle in various categories. You can look up vehicles by make and model or by type of vehicle or you can just look up the greenest vehicle in any year. The site has historic information going back to the year 2000.

Resources to Download:

• Model Year 2008 AFVs and ATVs   Prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy, in cooperation with automobile manufacturers, this document lists available AFVs and ATVs and provides some details on each model.