But the overall impact of a given fuel on global warming depends on how the fuel is made. Electricity Battery-powered vehicles produce virtually no pollution and offer one of the best options for reducing motor vehicle emissions in polluted cities. Power plants that produce electricity do pollute, but even when power plant emissions are included, electric vehicles are 70 percent cleaner than the cleanest conventional vehicle. Also, efficient emission controls can be installed and maintained more easily on individual power plants than on millions of vehicles. The driving range of today's electric cars averages 80 to 100 miles.
Current batteries take about six hours to recharge and the cost of electric vehicles is high.
However, recent developments in electric vehicle technology and increased demands for electric cars show much promise for the future. The next generation of alternative fuels includes fuel cells. Car companies are in the process of developing vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. Fuel cells produce no pollutants. Unlike electric cars, fuel cell-powered cars can go 280 miles without refueling and have a top speed of 90 mph.