[bwilson4web]

http://www.indiana.edu/~spea/pubs/TEP_combined.pdf

. . .
The transportation sector of the U.S. economy is a focal point for policymakers because it accounts for 27% of U.S.
greenhouse gas emissions (the gases linked to global climate change) and 70% of U.S. petroleum consumption. A majority
of the oil in the transport sector is used to power light-duty vehicles such as cars, sport-utility vehicles, vans, and pickup
trucks. Previous efforts to find alternatives to oil have not been highly successful, and thus the U.S. transportation system
remains more than 90% dependent on petroleum. Absent effective countermeasures, oil consumption rates and greenhouse
gas emissions are projected to grow in the United States and globally in the decades to come.

A variety of alternatives to petroleum are under consideration, including biofuels, natural gas, hydrogen, and electricity.
Each of these alternatives has benefits and limitations in different applications, and each may have some role to play in
the decades ahead. But the requirements for any viable alternative to gasoline are becoming more demanding. Gasoline
engines are becoming significantly more fuel-efficient due to innovative refinements, while conventional hybrid engines and
advanced diesel engines are increasing their market shares.

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are nonetheless coming to dealer showrooms. General Motors Corporation is offering the
2011 Chevrolet Volt, while Nissan Corporation is offering the 2011 LEAF, vehicles that rely primarily or exclusively on
electricity. Some plug-in vehicles are considered “battery electric vehicles” (BEVs), since they rely entirely on electricity (e.g.,
the LEAF), while others are called “plug-in hybrid electric vehicles” (PHEVs), since they still rely partly on conventional
fuels (gasoline and diesel). Both BEVs and PHEVs are called “plug-in electric vehicles” because they are designed to be
recharged by plugging into the power grid. Note that a conventional hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), such as the Toyota Prius,
is powered by batteries and gasoline but is not considered a PEV because it does not have the plug-in feature.
. . .

An 82 page report, it looks to cover a lot of issues. In one respect, pages and in some cases, paragraphs would be excellent starting places for threads. It looks to be a fairly through survey of what we know today, carefully thought out and researched. No doubt, we'll see echos of this report in the trade and popular press in the future. <wink>

Bob Wilson