Alternative fuel vehicles help us get from here to there with cleaner air and lower fueling costs. Electric cars, propane and natural gas vehicles, and bi-fuel vehicles are driven by Delawareans across all three counties, and more hit the road in the US every day. Clean transportation is a crucial strategy in lowering our greenhouse gases and meeting the challenge of climate change.

Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles plug into a wall or charging station. They come in two types: battery electric, which run only on electricity and don’t have a tailpipe, and plug-in hybrid electric, which have both a chargeable battery and a gas engine. Electric vehicles are a great option for families, commuters, and business fleets. Cheaper to fuel and cleaner for the environment than gas cars, they’re better for your wallet and our air. Rebates are available up to $2,500 from the state, and additional manufacturer offers may be available. Rebates are also available for charging equipment and for workplace charging stations that benefit businesses and their employees.

Propane and Natural Gas Vehicles

Vehicles in all shapes and sizes from sedans and pick-up trucks to school buses and heavy-duty big rigs can be designed or converted to run on natural gas or propane; fuels that offer lower, steadier prices and fewer polluting emissions than gasoline. Bi-fuel vehicles are equipped to run on gasoline or diesel, and natural gas or propane. Vehicles in all shapes and sizes from sedans and pick-up trucks to school buses and heavy-duty big rigs can be designed or converted to run on natural gas or propane; fuels that offer lower, steadier prices and fewer polluting emissions than gasoline. Bi-fuel vehicles are equipped to run on gasoline or diesel, and natural gas or propane.

The Delaware Clean Cities Coalition

The Delaware Clean Cities Coalition is a collaborative group of transportation professionals, stakeholders, and Delaware state agency representatives that works to reduce petroleum use for transportation. Funded by the US Department of Energy, the national Clean Cities program has saved more than 3 billion gallons of petroleum in the United States since 1993, advancing America’s energy, economic, and environmental security.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative

DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy is an active participant in the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), housed in the Georgetown Climate Center. Founded in 2010, TCI is a regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic jurisdictions that seeks to develop the clean energy economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.