Fuel Efficiency

Fuel-use efficiency has improved substantially in recent years but there still is room for improvement. Fossil-fuel power plants are about 33% efficient in delivering electrical power, which is close to the theoretical limit for such plants. Conventional internal combustion engine automobile power use (18-23%) could be improved to 21-27% for battery-electric cars, 30-35% for hybrid gasoline-electric cars, and 30-37% for fuel cell-electric cars. Personal choices by consumers in developed countries could accelerate use of more efficient vehicles, but personal choices by consumers in developing countries (principally India and China) could offset or reverse gains in fossil fuel reduction due to an increased number of vehicles (Hoffert et al, 2002).

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