How Practical Are Green Vehicles?

The rising cost of fuel, increasing consumer interest in environmentalism and in turn alternative methods of transportation has fueled the sale of hybrid vehicles over the last decade. But as plug-in hybrids become more mainstream, will buyers shy away from pure electric vehicles given the practicality advantages hybrids seem to offer? An infrastructure built for hybrid vehicles will currently not be enough to sustain electric vehicles, given the driving habits of all but the most city-bound americans.

This infographic details the best and worst places to live if you want to follow an all-electric lifestyle. Interestingly, the center of government has the greatest concentration of electric charging stations in the US, which may have a distorting effort on policymaking. For instance, subsidies over most plug-in hybrids, including the high end luxury vehicles such as the less-than-stellar-fuel-economy (yet undeniably stylish) Cadillac ELR couple have rubbed some motorists the wrong way, while the European trend for small, fuel efficient vehicles isn’t quite there yet. As you might expect, California and Florida score well, though not as well as Hawaii, Rhode Island or Connecticut – with Alaska predictably ranking last, with zero charging stations:

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About the Author: George is a researcher and writer for Sixt.co.uk – his main interests include sustainable energy, running, and being a lousy cook. He’s planning to cycle Eastern Europe this Autumn.