Electric vehicle sales have grown dramatically over the past decade. Still, they account for less than 2% of all vehicles in the U.S. Turns out, there are other ways to avoid the volatile fluctuations of gas prices.
According to the International Energy Agency, EV vehicle share expansion is necessary to slash transportation emissions and meet global climate goals. The Biden administration has sought to incentivize ownership of plug-in vehicles with tax credits, funding for charging stations, and supporting companies building EVs domestically. But most EV owners in the U.S. still rely on at least some fossil fuels to charge their rides as the country remains far from a 100% renewable energy grid.
Drivers, those unafraid of a french fry aroma, use leftover grease from restaurants as a biofuel. Flex-fuel cars blend higher amounts of corn-based ethanol with gasoline. Electric hybrids use drivers' braking habits to maximize miles per gallon.
The General broke down the number of cars wholly or partially powered on gasoline substitutes (including biofuels and electricity) in every state and Washington D.C., using the Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center data.
Ethanol/E85-powered cars are the most predominant alternative fuel vehicle nationwide, accounting for 7.3% of the overall vehicle share. Its production is less carbon-intensive than petroleum-based gasoline since it's refined from a plant that absorbs carbon as it grows. Still, most ethanol cars are powered 15-50% by traditional gas.
When it comes to emissions during combustion to power vehicles, both ethanol and vegetable oil biofuels still emit CO2, albeit at a lower rate than 100% gasoline.
Just because a car can handle ethanol fuel doesn't mean its owners necessarily fill it up with E85 blends, either. Part of why ethanol is the most common alternative-fuel vehicle in the U.S. is because pickup trucks such as the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado are ethanol-friendly. Lack of refueling stations and owner knowledge means not everyone takes advantage of their cars' fuel flexibility.
Electric hybrid cars are the second-most common alternative-fuel vehicle, accounting for 2% of vehicles. With models like the Toyota Prius, these cars still use combustion engines but store and reuse energy in batteries.
Among the less common alternative-fuel vehicles is the plug-in hybrid models. The U.S. falls behind in producing and adopting these vehicles, which have electric-charged driving ranges of 15-30 miles and use gasoline for longer distances. They are well-suited for the often-cited concern of infrequent charging stations for electric vehicles.
Nationwide, 11.7% of vehicles use alternative fuels. Since ethanol/E85 vehicles are the most common nationwide, the leaders of the list also have high shares of this vehicle type. In the case of ties, electric vehicle share served as a tiebreaker. Hydrogen, natural gas, and propane vehicles are included in the overall alternative fuel vehicle share, but because they are uncommon, they are not listed as individual data points. California was the only state that reported hydrogen vehicles, with nearly 15,000.
Read on to see where every state lands.
