Energy Efficiency & Vehicle Technology

There are significant economic, national security, and environmental costs of the fuel currently used in our transportation system. For example:

More than half of the total U.S trade deficit in 2009 was oil-related ($204 billion out of $380.7 billion). Moreover, as the world's largest oil importer, the U.S. is economically vulnerable to supply disruptions, resulting in the need for military operations to ensure that foreign oil fields and overseas shipping lanes remain secure;
Highway vehicles were responsible for 82.5% of all transportation energy use in 2009;
Most US transportation sector carbon dioxide emissions come from petroleum fuels (98%);
Motor gasoline has been responsible for about 60% of US carbon dioxide emissions over the last twenty years;

Significant advances have been made recently to improve the overall efficiency of the sector, particularly with regards to fuel economy. However, further fuel savings is needed. The traveling public is increasingly investing in alternative fuels, plug-in hybrid and other electric vehicle (EV) technologies. The increased use of these fuels and vehicle technologies promises to yield multiple benefits, including reducing our reliance on foreign sources of oil, lower localized and regional on-road emissions, and reduced energy consumption for the transportation sector. States and localities in the U.S. are beginning to build the necessary infrastructure to support the use of these fuels and vehicle technologies.