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Appendix B—Comparison of Alternative Fuels
Technical Readiness
Fuel Production Vehicular Demand Capacity
Gasoline
Diesel
Electricity
Produced using
domestic and foreign
crude oil.
Considerable
quantities must be
imported to meet
domestic demand.
Produced using
domestic and foreign
crude oil.
Produced with both
nonrenewable fuels
(e.g., oil and coal) and
renewable sources
of energy (e.g., solar,
wind, and water
power).
Enormous and slowly
growing.
Enormous and slowly
growing.
Pure electric (including
plug-in hybrids):
relatively small and
static.
Other: gasoline
/ battery hybrids
currently in high
demand.
The United States
has sufficient
proven reserves of
crude oil to last at
least 12 years.
The United States
has insufficient
refinery capacity
to produce all of
the gasoline that it
consumes.
See Gasoline
Renewable
sources currently
in use have limited
capacity.
Major Impediments to
Future Use
Declining reserves of crude
oil
Production of greenhouse
gas and other pollutants
Use of foreign sources of
supply of crude oil and
gasoline
Price volatility of crude oil
and gasoline
See Gasoline
Limited battery capacity
Limited fueling infrastructure
Limited availability of electric
vehicles
Speed of implementing
smart grid technologies
Natural
Gas
Despite vast
reserves of gas,
some importation,
particularly from
Canada, occurs.
During the heating
season, some imports
from overseas are
brought in by ship to
augment domestic
supplies.
Large and growing.
Based on a
comparison of
proven reserves
with gross
withdrawals, the
United States has
sufficient proven
reserves to last
over 90 years.
If demand were
to increase due
to increased
use as a motor
fuel, additional
processing-plant
capacity might be
needed.
Primary sources of lithium
for batteries are foreign
Limited fueling infrastructure
Limited availability of natural
gas powered vehicles
Challenges of Building a Hydrogen Infrastructure 49