Home >  Cars  >  Guide to alternative fuels

Guide to alternative fuels

Last updated: February 2013

As America works to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, cars that don’t require gasoline are multiplying. There are an increasing number of electric and plug-in cars, as well as improved biofuel compatibility across the board. Plus, there is a handful of fuel-cell and natural-gas powered cars rolling out, primarily to fleets and in limited regions. Many alternative-fuel vehicles come with some form of tax incentive to make prices more affordable.

We’ve driven almost every alt-fuel model on the market, and most significant models coming soon, so we can steer you to which ones can work as real-world transportation and which ones are more science fiction.

The hard truth is that none of these alternative fuels are as easy and capable as gasoline, but there are some appealing options, with the right lifestyle and infrastructure.

Featured

cars_fuel_economy_octane-thumb-240xauto-4658

Alternative fuels

What consumers want in fuels
Alternative fuel station locator
2011-Chevrolet-Volt-thumb-240xauto-1124

Plug-in hybrids

Chevrolet Volt
Chevrolet Volt safety investigation
Fisker Karma
Ford C-Max plug-in
Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid
Toyota Prius plug-in
2012-Chevrolet-Volt-charging-thumb-240xauto-3849

Electricity

Electric cars 101
Why electric cars?
California plans to boost EV mandates
Should you plug in?
Don't "brick" your EV battery
AAA fast charge trucks
EV drivers hanging in charger wars
What's next for EV batteries?
Batterymaker promises longer life
Government proposes electric & hybrids make some noise
BMW-i8-concept-pr-f

Electric cars

EV Concepts: BMW i3 & i8
Ford Focus EV
Honda Fit EV
Mitsubishi i
Nissan Leaf
Tesla Model S
ethanol_corn_alternative_fuel

Ethanol

E85 falls short of expectations
E15 gains approval
E15 voids car warranties
Cures for ethanol troubles
How to find ethanol-free fuel
2012-Honda-Civic-Natural-Gas-station

Natural gas / CNG

The natural gas alternative
Natural gas pickups return
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra CNG
Honda Civic CNG
biofuel_corn_alternative_fuel

Biodiesel

Grow your own fuel
The biodiesel alternative
Restaurants may serve up biodiesel
Ford SuperDuty approved for biodiesel
Biodiesel safety: Don’t try this at home
Mercedes-Benz-F-Cell-thumb-240xauto-4632

Hydrogen & fuel cells

Fuel cells: The ultimate green machine
Fuel-cell cars of tomorrow
Consumers live with fuel cells
Honda FCX Clarity
Mercedes-Benz B-class
   

E-mail Newsletters

FREE e-mail Newsletters!
Choose from safety, health, cars, and more!
Already signed-up?
Manage your newsletters here too.

Cars News

BMW integrates books to go, with bookmarks and Kindle synching

It's amazing what you can find out from an auto show. This year, in the course of covering the New York International Auto Show, we came across some exciting electronics news: Readers no longer n...

Our favorite cars at the New York Auto Show

With the media days at the New York International Auto Show behind us, the cars team has had time to reflect on the approximately 1,000 vehicles on display. Many new models made impressions, and ...

Get gas at Walmart--for less

Attention Walmart shoppers (or is that drivers?). The retail giant has just launched a fuel-price rollback that knocks off as much as 15 cents per gallon on purchases at more than 1,000 Murphy US...

Pre-term babies and the infant car seat challenge

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies born before 37 weeks undergo an assessment called the Infant Car Seat Challenge (ICSC) prior to discharge from the hospital. This test de...

Catch the New York Auto Show buzz with Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports will be at the center of the action at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) with our Buzz Hub. Think of it as an interactive genius bar set up to engage with show attende...
More news

Connect

Discuss products
and safety with
subscribers and fans

Follow us on:

Cars

Cars New Car Price Report
Find out what the dealers don't want you to know! Get a great price on a new car with the Consumer Reports New Car Price Report.

Order Your Report

Mobile

Mobile Get Ratings on the go and compare
while you shop

Learn more