Alternative Fuel Source Vehicles
Chris Stagner
John Spahalski Claudia Betancur Rasheem James Justin McFarland
COMM/215
March 2, 2015
Carolyn Crane

Hybrid Vehicles A growing number of people believe alternative fuels will have an expanded role in the

cars and trucks of tomorrow. Alternative fuels generally have lower or fewer emissions rates

which reduce the amount of smog, air pollution and global warming emitted by gas and

diesel vehicles today. A hybrid vehicle can be powered by electricity, which is produced

domestically. Vehicles powered by fuel/ electricity will reduce the amount of imported oil that

we use today. The government has offered incentives and tax breaks to help offset the higher

cost of hybrid vehicles.

Benefits Of hybrids

The United States imported 33% of its petroleum in 2013. Most of the world’s petroleum reserves are located in volatile countries; making the United States vulnerable the price increase and disruptions in supply. The use of hybrid cars will decrease the need to import petroleum from other countries. “Hybrids electric vehicles (HEVs) typically use less fuel than similar conventional vehicles, because they employ electric-drive technologies to boost efficiency. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and all-electric vehicles (EVs) are both capable of using off-board sources of electricity, and almost all U.S. electricity is produced from domestic coal, nuclear energy, natural gas, and renewable resources.” (U.S. Department of Energy, Par 3). Hybrids also help with fuel economy; they can reduce the fuel costs due to the fact of the low cost of electricity relative to conventional fuel. Most hybrids do have the option to use gasoline as an alternative, helping if there is no other way to charge the car. However “Public charging stations are not as ubiquitous as gas stations, but charging equipment manufacturers, automakers, utilities, Clean Cities coalitions, municipalities, and government agencies are establishing a rapidly expanding network of charging infrastructure. The number of publicly accessible charging stations surpassed 8,800 in 2014, offering more than 21,000 outlets”. (U.S. Department of Energy, par 8). Charging Stations and Infrastructure
Most private citizens owning hybrid vehicles will charge their car at home a majority of the time. Many employers are offering employees access to charging vehicles at the workplace. Many states have public charging stations at various locations around the city. Locations include libraries, shopping centers, hospitals and local businesses. Many major hotel chains have already installed charging centers for their guests to use.
With the push of eco-friendly fuel alternative vehicles by our government, the infrastructure is rapidly growing around the U.S. Charging stations provide drivers with a convenience, range, and confidence to meet more of their transportation needs with plug-in vehicles ("U S Department of Energy", 2015). Electricity is found at almost any place people park. Public charging stations are becoming more popular as the network continues to expand. Charging stations are not as common as a regular gas station, but many organizations are building them. Manufacturers of charging equipment, automakers, utility companies, municipalities and government agencies are establishing a rapid infrastructure ("U S Department of Energy", 2015). The number of publicly accessible charging stations surpassed 8,800 in 2014 ("U S Department of Energy", 2015).
A rental car agency such as Lotus Rental Car’s will have a fleet facility set up to charge the vehicles while they are waiting to be rented.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) do not run on just electric charges stored in the battery. PHEV’s have the benefit of running