Alternative
Fuels Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This document presents answers to questions about
alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and alternative transportation fuels that are
often asked of the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Some of the questions
concern EIA data while others relate to more general alternative fuel
topics.
Disclaimer: Referrals to sources that do not
originate in EIA are provided for the reader's convenience. EIA does not take
responsibility for verifying the quality of non-EIA information sources, although
attempts have been made to refer to reliable sources.
Question 1: What is the most recent
year for which EIA data on AFVs and alternative fuel usage are available?
Question 2: What is the difference
between AFV estimates and AFV survey data?
Question 3: What long-term forecasts
does EIA have regarding alternative fuel vehicles and alternative fuel
consumption?
Question 4: Where can I find information
on AFVs being used in my city, county, or State?
Question
5: Where can I find EIA's data on ethanol production, stocks,
and imports?
Question 6: How are E85 flexible-fueled
vehicles treated in EIA's data? Why is there a discrepancy between the
E85 data in Table 1 and Table 14?
Question 7: Are hybrid electric vehicles
included in EIA's data?
Question 8: Where can I find information
on alternative fuel refueling facilities?
Question 9: Where can I find alternative
fuel prices, as well as prices for gasoline and diesel fuel?
Question 10: Where can I find information
about funding of alternative fuel projects, grants and tax incentives?
Question 11: Where can I find data
and information about all U.S. vehicles? For example, how many traditional
fueled vehicles are registered in the U.S and what is the average fuel
efficiency of U.S. vehicles? Where can I find information on the characteristics
of fleet vehicles?
Question 12: How
do I convert alternative fuel consumption to gasoline-equivalent gallons
(g-e-g's)?
Question 13: Where can I find the
chemical properties of alternative fuels, such as molecular weight, density,
flash point, RVP, heating value, and others?
Question 14: Where can I find information
on fuel cells?
Question 15: Where can I find information
on hydrogen and hydrogen vehicles?
Question 1: What is the most recent
year for which EIA data on AFVs and alternative fuel usage are available?
Answer: Estimates of AFVs in use are provided for the
time periods of 1995-2004 in Tables
1-9 of Alternatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels 2000.
These data were released in February 2004. Estimates of alternative fuel
consumption are also available for the time period of 1995-2004 in Tables
10-13. These data were released in February 2004. Survey-based data
for AFVs made available in 2004 and AFVs planned to be made available
in 2005 were released in September 2005 in
Alternatives
to Traditional Transportation Fuels 2002. Survey-based data for AFVs
in use by selected user classes in 2004 are provided in Tables
21-35. The selected user classes for which data are available are:
Federal Government, State Government, fuel providers, and bus operators.
These data were released in September 2005. All tables are updated annually
unless otherwise specified.
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Question 2: What is the difference between
AFV estimates and AFV survey data?
Answer: EIA uses two methodologies to account for alternative
fuel vehicles and alternative fuel usage; (1) industry wide estimates
and (2) a fielded survey. Section 503(b) (2) of the Energy Policy Act
of 1992 directed EIA to provide data on the number, type, and location
of all alternative fuel vehicles in use in the United States and the amount
of alternative fuel consumed. Since 1995, EIA has published annual estimates of total AFVs in use and alternative fuel consumption.
Estimation methods vary by vehicle ownership category (Federal
government, State and local government or private) and by fuel type. The
best estimates for each vehicle category were made after an extensive
search of available data sources (e.g., State energy offices, web sites
of various AFV stakeholders, industry groups, trade associations). Estimation
methods are described in Appendix
A of Altrenatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels 1996.
The Alternative Transportation Fuels and Alternative Fueled Vehicles
Survey (Form
EIA-886) was implemented in 1995. The EIA-886 survey is conducted
annually and collects data on AFVs supplied, or made available, in the
previous year and AFVs planned to be made available in the survey year.
The survey collects data from all AFV suppliers, i.e. original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) and vehicle converters.
In 1998, the EIA-886 survey was expanded to include selected users of
AFVs. The user portion of the survey collects data on the number, type,
and location of AFVs operated by Federal fleets, State fleets, fuel provider
fleets, and transit agency fleets. Collecting data directly from vehicle
users has enabled EIA to obtain a larger quantity of data and data that
are more accurate for the selected user segments. EIA publishes data for
the selected groups and also uses the survey data to provide more accurate source
information for the estimates of total AFVs.
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Question 3: What long-term forecasts
does EIA have regarding alternative fuel vehicles and alternative fuel
consumption?
Answer: Supplement
Tables: Data relevant to alternative fuels are found in supplemental
Tables 34-51 of EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2003. Projections
include vehicle sales and fuel consumption from 2003 through 2025.
Index to ATF forecasting:
Links to the sections of EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2003
that pertain to alternative fuel vehicle sales and alternative fuel consumption.
Contacts: Lists
analysts responsible for transportation demand forecasts. Any questions
regarding the long-term forecast for alternative fuels should be addressed
to these analysts.
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Question 4: Where can I find information
on AFVs being used in my city, county, or State?
Answer: Table
3: EIA estimates of the number of alternative fuel
vehicles in use, by State, from 2000 to 2002.
Table
4: EIA estimates of the number of alternative fuel vehicles in use,
by fuel type and State, for the year 2000.
Clean Cities
Coalitions: Links to the 85 Clean Cities coalitions across the United
States. The Clean Cities program is sponsored by the Department of Energy
(DOE) and comprised of coalitions of local stakeholders. The program supports
public-private partnerships that deploy alternative fuel vehicles and
build supporting alternative fuel infrastructures.
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Question 5: Where can I find EIA’s
data on ethanol production, stocks, and imports?
Answer: Production
and Stocks: Access to current and historical data from EIA’s
“Monthly Oxygenate Telephone Report” (EIA-819M), including
ethanol production and stocks for five geographic regions in the U.S.
Imports:
Imports data that are collected via EIA’s “Monthly Imports
Report” (EIA-814), and published in the Petroleum Supply Monthly.
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Question 6: How are E85 flexible-fueled
vehicles treated in EIA's data? Why is there a discrepancy between the
E85 data in Table 1 and Table 14?
Answer: EIA's estimates of alternative fuel vehicles
in use, as shown in Table
1, include only those vehicles intended for use as AFVs, primarily
fleet-operated vehicles. Many of the flexible-fueled E85 vehicles, especially
those owned by private individuals, are excluded because they are sold
and used as traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. For 2000, the EIA estimated
that in total there were 2,652,592 E85 vehicles in use. However, only
58,621 of those were operated by fleets and included in Table 1. On the
other hand, Table
14, Summary of Onroad Alternative Fuel and Gasoline- Electric
Hybrid Vehicles Made Available by Weight Class, Fuel Type and Configuration,
does reflect all AFVs made available, including all vehicles capable of
running on E85 and/or gasoline. Vehicles made available are those that
were produced in a given year. They do not include vehicles made in previous
years that are still in use. Thus, differences in data type and exclusions
of certain vehicles account for the E85 count differences between Table
1 and Table 14.
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Question 7: Are hybrid electric vehicles
included in EIA's data?
Answer: EIA's estimates of alternative fuel vehicles
in use (Tables
1-9 of EIA's AFV tables) reflect only hybrid vehicles that run on
a combination of electricity and one of the designated alternative fuels
(e.g., a propane hybrid). They do not include hybrid electric vehicles
that run on a combination of electricity and gasoline or diesel fuel because
the Department of Energy has ruled that those do not qualify as "alternative
fuel vehicles." However, due to the interest of our data users, EIA does
include gasoline and diesel hybrids in the "vehicles made available" data
that appear in Tables
14-20.
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Question 8: Where can I find information
on alternative fuel refueling facilities?
Answer: AFDC
Refueling Sites: A searchable database of refueling stations in the
U.S. maintained by DOE's Alternative Fuels Data Center. Maps and station
details are available.
Counts of Alternative
Fuel Stations: Table of alternative fuel station counts by State and
fuel type, from DOE's Alternative Fuels Data Center.
California
Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition Station Locator: Lists and maps of natural
gas fueling stations in CA, NV and AZ.
CA Clean Car Maps: A
searchable database, maintained by WestStart, containing alternative fuel
refueling stations in California.
Guide to New York State CNG Fueling Stations: Listing from NY State
Energy Research and Development Authority of compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in New York.
E-85 Refueling Locations:
The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition provides maps and addresses for
E85 sites throughout the U.S.
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Question 9: Where can I find alternative
fuel prices, as well as prices for gasoline and diesel fuel?
Answer: Neither EIA nor other DOE offices track retail
prices of alternative transportation fuels. EIA does provide data on intermediate
prices of some of the alternative fuels. These prices do not include the
costs of transportation or preparation of fuels exclusively for vehicle
use. Nor do they include any applicable taxes.
U.S.
Natural Gas Prices: EIA data for wellhead, city gate and sector prices.
These data do not include the cost of compressing or liquefying natural
gas for vehicle use.
Propane:
EIA spot and wholesale prices for propane.
Electricity:
EIA published wholesale and futures prices for electricity.
Gasoline:
EIA weekly retail gasoline prices.
Diesel:
EIA weekly on-highway diesel prices.
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Question 10: Where can I find information
about funding of alternative fuel projects, grants and tax incentives?
Answer: The EIA is a statistical agency and does not
provide funding for research and development activities. However, information
is available from other sources.
Support and Funding:
Information about specific funding sources for alternative fuels and advice
for obtaining funding, from DOE's Clean Cities Program.
Funding Opportunities:
Information from DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy about funding resources and solicitations related to renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program: Details of
the Department of Transportation's program that provides funds for projects
that reduce air pollution from transportation-related sources.
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Question 11: Where can I find data
and information about all U.S. vehicles? For example, how many traditional
fueled vehicles are registered in the U.S and what is the average fuel
efficiency of U.S. vehicles? Where can I find information on the characteristics
of fleet vehicles?
Answer: Transportation
Energy Databook: Prepared by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, this is
a good source of data for the total transportation sector in the United
States Individual chapters highlight different topics.
Chapter 3. Highway
Vehicles and Characteristics: Data and information for all vehicles
by type, including data on U.S. vehicle registrations, sales, and scrappage
rates.
Chapter 4. Light
Vehicles and Characteristics: Data and information, including fuel
economy data, for autos and light trucks.
Chapter 5. Heavy
Vehicle Characteristics: Data and information for buses and heavy
trucks.
Chapter 7. Fleet
Vehicles and Characteristics: Data and information for vehicles operated
by fleets.
Chapter 2. Energy:
Includes highway energy consumption data.
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Question 12: How do I convert alternative
fuel consumption to gasoline-equivalent gallons (g-e-g's)?
Answer: To compute fuel consumption in terms of g-e-g's,
divide the heating value of the alternative fuel (Btu per native unit
of fuel) by the heating value of gasoline. Then, multiply this result
by the alternative fuel consumption value. For example, to convert 100
gallons of ethanol to g-e-g's, multiply 0.661 (i.e., 76000/115000) by
100. EIA uses adjusted lower heating values to develop the conversion
factors used in Table
10. The adjusted heating values can be found in Table
A2 of Alternatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels 1996.
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Question 13: Where can I find the chemical
properties of alternative fuels, such as molecular weight, density, flash
point, RVP, heating value, and others?
Answer:: See Table
22 of "Alternatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels, An Overview"
for an EIA published list of properties for propane, CNG, methanol, ethanol,
and hydrogen, as well as gasoline and diesel fuel.
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Question 14: Where can I find information
on fuel cells?
Answer: Fuel
Cells: Fuel cell basics and other related information from DOE's Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
California Fuel Cell Partnership:
Background information provided by a partnership of auto manufacturers, fuel providers, fuel cell companies, and government, including a resource center.
Fuel Cells 2000: Comprehensive
information sponsored by Breakthrough Technologies Institute.
American Methanol Institute: Information
about methanol fuel cells and an extensive list of related fuel cell links.
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Question 15: Where can I find information
on hydrogen and hydrogen vehicles?
Answer: Table
14-20, Alternative-Fueled Vehicles Made Available: The only
hydrogen vehicle data currently available from EIA, these data were reported
on the EIA-886 survey.
Hydrogen,
Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program: General information
about the use of hydrogen for vehicles, from DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy. This site includes sections on production, delivery, and storage and hydrogen
fact sheets for elementary and secondary students.
National Hydrogen Association:
Overall coverage of the hydrogen industry.
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