Best Alternative Fuel Cars for 2012

By okaygrace, 23rd May 2012 | Follow this author | RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/10p5wb2b/
Posted in Wikinut>News>Technology

Best Alternative Fuel Cars for 2012 - Discussing the top cars for a variety of alternative fuel sources.

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With gas prices as high as they are and rising rapidly, more and more people are beginning to consider trading in their gas guzzling vehicles and replacing them with alternative fuel cars that not only help your pocketbook, but also help the environment.

But with so many different choices out there, it may be difficult to decide on what works best for our personal needs. Below I have outlined 4 of the highest rated and best in class vehicles for 2012 that offer a wide range of alternatives for everyone's unique situation.

First up, is the new Volt from Chevrolet(yes Chevrolet!).

The Volt is somewhat of a revolutionary vehicle as it is the first American made car to integrate both plug-in electric and hybrid technologies into one car. I know for myself, the biggest drawback to owning an electric vehicle is the fact that you can only drive so far without being forced to recharge the battery. The Volt completely eliminates this issue as it has a battery that can last for roughly 35 miles(more than enough to drive around town for the day) and in addition it has a gas tank that can power the vehicle so that you can drive up to an additional 375 miles on one tank of gas.

They are starting just over $30k after the government tax rebate, so they are very affordable. The styling of the vehicle is actually pretty well designed as well, which is always a plus as I personally hate how 90% of the other electric vehicles out there look.

If I had to choose a car to buy today, this would definitely be my top choice!

Second, is the Toyota Prius, which is what I actually just purchased myself at the start of the year.

The Toyota Prius is hands down the best hybrid vehicle on the market today. It gets the best mileage at roughly 50mpg, is very affordable at $20K+, and looks great.

The cool thing about the Prius is that you can essentially drive it like you would any other car, but the difference is you will save a bundle on gasoline. I've cut my gasoline bill by 65% since I traded in my SUV for this, so I cannot praise this car enough.

If you are looking for something different, then next up is the Honda Civic Natural Gas vehicle.

Natural gas is another alternative fuel source available today. Personally I am not sold on it, as there are just not enough fueling stations around to make owning one of these convenient for me.

For those that have several natural gas stations in your area though, you definitely might be interested in this as natural gas is roughly 50% cheaper than gasoline and also creates very little emissions.

The Honda Civic NG is rated as the best Natural Gas vehicle so time will tell if this fuel source will gain popularity to make it a more available to the general population or not.

Lastly we have the coolest car of all, the Tesla Model S.

Although not released just yet, the Tesla Model S is scheduled to begin distribution in July 2012. Currently there is a wait list for the vehicle and if you have the cash, this baby will be well worth the wait.

The Tesla Model S is a plug-in electric luxury sedan that can go from 0-60 in 5 seconds flat, has a range of 300 miles without a charge and is starting at only $49,000!

What is there not to love about this car? Auto enthusiasts believe that this vehicle could be a complete game changer in the automotive industry, and I wholeheartedly agree.

So there you have it, from luxury to every day performance the options for alternative fuel cars are beginning to be quite vast. The affordability and environmentally friendly aspects of owning one of these cars, to me, is something that cannot be overlooked. If you are still driving your all gas vehicle, you may want to start thinking about looking at the alternatives, because this is the future of worldwide transportation.