alternative fuels

Best for: Battery-powered vehicles are most efficient — and most affordable — as small, short-range cars. Companies such as Zap! are already marketing their all-electric models as ideal second cars for daily errands and short commutes, with zero emissions and practically no fuel cost (less than a dollar to charge). As the technology becomes more robust, electric vehicles are still likely to remain short-range, everyday vehicles, and could become a necessity for urban drivers in cities such as London, where petroleum-powered automobiles are charged a steep congestion tax.
Where to fill up: Recharging stations will appear only if plug-ins become extremely common, and even then, many gas stations or other businesses could supply multiple vehicles with electricity without upgrading their infrastructure. Some equipment may be necessary to determine how much power is being supplied and what it should cost, but the short-term solution is likely to be ad hoc and disorganized. Unless electric vehicles are supplanted by hydrogen fuel cells or some other petroleum-free, zero-emissions technology, the gas stations of the world will gradually adopt some form of recharging.
Other Gases
In a field packed with fringe fuels, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are among the least-talked-about alternative fuels. Honda is making a push for natural-gas-powered cars with its Civic GX, and with T. Boone Pickens still making the case for a combination of CNG and wind power to wean the United States off foreign oil, people are starting to pay attention. In theory, the domestic reserves are already in place. Honda is selling refilling stations that use your home's existing gas lines. LPG, which can include propane and butane, is somewhat common in Europe, where many vehicles work on both LPG and petroleum, but it requires an extensive conversion to work with vehicles in the U.S.
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