Electricity can be produced from a variety of energy sources, including oil, coal, nuclear energy, hydropower, natural gas, wind energy, solar energy, and stored hydrogen. In 2015, the United States imported about 24% of the petroleum it consumed, and transportation was responsible for nearly three-quarters of total U.S. petroleum consumption. With much of the world's petroleum reserves located in politically volatile countries, the United States is vulnerable to price spikes and supply disruptions.
Using hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles instead of conventional internal combustion vehicles can help reduce U.S. reliance on imported petroleum and increase energy security. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) typically use less fuel than similar conventional vehicles, because they employ electric-drive technologies to boost efficiency. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and all-electric vehicles (EVs) are both capable of being powered solely by electricity, which is produced in the U.S. from natural gas, domestic coal, nuclear energy, and renewable resources. The mix of fuel our utility uses to produce electricity is mostly natural gas and nuclear so the overall emissions from a vehicle powered by electricity are significantly less compared to a gasoline powered vehicle.
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