Almost all of the cars and trucks we drive run on fuels derived from oil. Oil is a non-renewable resource, and while there is some debate as to how long this resource will last, we will eventually have to find new ways to power highway vehicles.

Researchers are hard at work exploring new fuels and vehicle technologies. Hydrogen and fuel cells are areas of intense research. Hydrogen is clean, versatile, and can be produced from a wide variety of domestic resources, including renewables.

Other fossil fuels such as coal, shale oil, tar sands, and natural gas are another possibility, as are fuels derived from biomass, such as biodiesel.

In the meantime, it makes sense to use fossil resources such as oil more efficiently to buy time to develop new and better energy sources and to make the transition to these sources smoother and less expensive.