Status of advanced light-duty transportation technologies in the US

The need to reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gases is driving a fundamental change toward more efficient, advanced vehicles, and fuels in the transportation sector. The paper reviews the current status of light duty vehicles in the US and discusses policies to improve fuel efficiency, advanced electric drives, and sustainable cellulosic biofuels. The paper describes the cost, technical, infrastructure, and market barriers for alternative technologies, i.e., advanced biofuels and light-duty vehicles, including diesel vehicles, natural-gas vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel-cell electric vehicles. The paper also presents R&D targets and technology validation programs of the US government. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.