Alternative fuel vehicle

An alternative fuel vehicle is a vehicle that runs on a fuel other than traditional petroleum fuels (petrol or diesel); and also refers to any technology of powering an engine that does not involve solely petroleum (e.g. electric car, hybrid electric vehicles, solar powered). Because of a combination of factors, such as environmental concerns, high oil prices and the potential for peak oil, development of cleaner alternative fuels and advanced power systems for vehicles has become a high priority for many governments and vehicle manufacturers around the world.Hybrid electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius are not actually alternative fuel vehicles, but through advanced technologies in the electric battery and motor/generator, they make a more efficient use of petroleum fuel. Other research and development efforts in alternative forms of power focus on developing all-electric and fuel cell vehicles, and even the stored energy of compressed air.As of 2011 there were more than one billion vehicles in use in the world, compared with over 100 million alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles that had been sold or converted worldwide as of September 2015, and made up mainly of: About 48 million automobiles, motorcycles and light duty trucks manufactured and sold worldwide by mid 2015, led by Brazil with 29.5 million by mid 2015, followed by the United States with 17.4 million by the end of 2014, Canada with more than 600,000 by early 2008, and Sweden with 243,100 through December 2014. The Brazilian flex fuel fleet includes over 4 million flexible-fuel motorcycles produced since 2009 through March 2015. 22.7 million natural gas vehicles as of August 2015, led by China (4.4 million) Iran with 4.00 million, followed by Pakistan (3.70 million), Argentina (2.48 million), India (1.80 million) and Brazil (1.78 million).24.9 million LPG powered vehicles by December 2013, led by Turkey with 3.93 million, South Korea (2.4 million), and Poland (2.75 million).Over 10 million hybrid electric vehicles have been sold worldwide as of July 2015, led by Toyota Motor Company (TMC) with over 8 million Lexus and Toyota hybrids sold as of July 2015; followed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. with cumulative global sales of more than 1.35 million hybrids as of June 2014; and Ford Motor Corporation with over 424 thousand hybrids sold in the United States through June 2015. As of July 2015, global hybrid sales are led by the Prius family, with sales of 5.264 million units delivered through July 2015. The Toyota Prius liftback is the leading model with cumulative sales of 3.527 million units through July 2015. Ranking second after the conventional Prius is the Toyota Aqua/Prius c, with global sales of 1.08 million units, followed by the Prius v/α/+ with over 582 thousand units sold. As of December 2014, Japan and the United States are the world's market leaders in hybrid sales, Japan with over 4 million units sold and the U.S. with more than 3.5 million. Cumulative European sales totaled over 925,000 hybrids through December 2014.5.7 million neat-ethanol only light-vehicles built in Brazil since 1979, with 2.4 to 3.0 million vehicles still in use by 2003. and 1.22 million units as of December 2011. Over one million highway legal plug-in electric passenger cars and light utility vehicless have been sold worldwide by mid-September 2015. As of August 2015, the United States is the market leader with over 363,000 plug-in electric cars delivered since 2008, followed by China with over 157,000 units sold since 2011, and Japan with more than 121,000 plug-in units sold since 2009. European sales are led by Norway with almost 66,000 new light-duty plug-in vehicles registered, followed by the Netherlands with over 61,000 all-electric cars and light utility vans, and France with over 59,000 plug-in electric vehicles registered. In the heavy-duty segment, China is the world's leader, with over 65,000 buses and sanitation vehicles sold through August 2015. By mid-September 2015, the Nissan Leaf is the world's all-time top selling highway-capable all-electric car, with global sales of approaching 200,000 units, followed by the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which together with its sibling the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera has combined global sales of almost 100,000 units. Ranking third is the Tesla Model S with about 85,000 units sold worldwide through August 2015.An environmental analysis extends beyond just the operating efficiency and emissions. A life-cycle assessment of a vehicle involves production and post-use considerations. A cradle-to-cradle design is more important than a focus on a single factor such as the type of fuel.