energyNOW! anchor Thalia Assuras talks with Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of car rating website Edmunds.com and Mary Beth Stanek, Director of Environment and Energy at General Motors to debate if electric plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles could replace internal combustion engines.

Edmunds.com is one of the nation’s leading sources for automotive information, and is active in publishing tips for drivers to save gasoline and money. General Motors launched the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt electric vehicle last year, and has led all other electric vehicles in sales through 2011.

Stanek says a variety of gasoline-powered alternative vehicles will be available to consumers. “Biofuels are going to be with us for a while at various blends, and that will stretch a gallon of gasoline fairly far,” she said. “You’re also going to see a lot of variety of electrification – not everything is going to be pure EV. You might get 20 percent fuel economy savings all the way to pure electric driven vehicles, both from batteries and hydrogen.”

Anwyl agrees a variety of options will be available, but said government shouldn’t be picking winners. “The government has made a bet on biofuels and EVS and that’s where most of the energy is being applied,” he said. “A blizzard of new technologies could be applied to power vehicles. By placing bets, you’re actually eliminating or reducing the inventive to invest in those alternatives.” 

Photo by Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot.