Hi, you've asked a very detailed question. Get comfy and we'll run through each option.
Each has it's own pluses and minuses, but considering where you live, and considering you don't bring up moving to another state soon, we can eliminate a couple right away.
* E85 is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Ethanol is grain alcohol, most commonly made from corn, but new technologies are being developed to produce ethanol from waste plant materials, such as corn stalks. This is still a ways off for the US, but other countries do use it.
Ethanol is currently less expensive than regular gasoline, however that could change. Remember that ethanol is made here from corn, what happens if there is a change in corn production? What happens if it becomes politically more advantageous to sell more of our surplus corn to the world (China, anyone?) or we get hit with drought conditions that severly limit the amount of surplus corn produced?
This is in addition to the fact that we are taxed as a country to suppliment the production of corn, and then corn into ethanol.
Plus ethanol, being alcohol, is less dense than oil and provides less energy for the same volume of material. You get less mileage for the same amount of fluid.
And ethanol is not available across the country. There are currently about 260,000 public gas stations in the US, but only about 1.5% of them carry ethanol. In some places, those stations are common, in other areas they don't exist.
So ethanol is not a good, long term choice. Sounds good in ads, but doesn't add up.
* Electrics and plug-ins could be a great idea if they were more common and could do more for you. What is important here is that the range and/or speed is extremely limited. If you never need to go on the highway, never need to go above 40 mph, or don't mind having a year 2000 compact EV pickup that costs $25,000, you are in business.
One of the main pluses touted for EV's is the low cost of operation. It is true that the infrastructure for electricity makes it a relatively cheap option. Once again, remember that your taxes help to defray the cost of electricity, so that does lower your monthly bill.
And electric motors do not have the moving parts and wear and tear of gas engines. So they do last much longer without breakdowns (many industrial electric motors have been in almost continuous operation for over 50 years).
However, the large cost of converting a vehicle over to EV only or plug-in, plus providing a vehicle to begin with, more than make up for the lower cost of continuous operation.
Using lead acid batteries is weighty and the charge is used up quickly, though the cost is lower and the availability is easy.
Nickel cadmium batteries are so toxic and they have a memory so the charge is reduced as they are run. So they are not a good choice to consider and are largely not used.
Nickel metal hydride batteries are lighter in weight and hold more charge for the same size, so the range is extended. However, the cost is much higher and they are much harder to come by. Memory is usually not a problem.
Lithium ion are the best of the current/upcoming crop of batteries for size, weight, power holding and memory is not an issue. However, cost is highest and availibility is very difficult for the average person.
So, between the lack of range, lack of long term power (long term speed= highway cruising), high cost, and the long charge times, EV's are not a good option for many people.
*NGV Civics are a great idea for places like California. You lease a NG Phill for your home for about $70 a month and then you pump your Civic full each night.
The NGV Civic costs about $25,000 and the natural gas costs whatever the market is.
The mileage is 28city/39highway, less than a standard Civic on gas, and the NGV holds about 8.03 gallons equivalent, for a range of about 220-240 miles, in regular driving (Honda website). That range should handle most daily commuting, but weekend trips might be a problem. And refilling takes about 16 hours at home if the tank is empty. However, refueling can be much faster at pumps throughout California.
Orders for the Civic NGV are being taken now for delivery starting Oct. 2007.
Great option, as long as you can wait until the end of the year, or beginning of next year for delivery (depending on how many people order one and how many are available). Also, consider the short range and refueling issues. Plus the $25+ cost. However, the emissions are nearly zero.
* The choice I would recommend is a full hybrid like the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic. A full hybird can actually move using only electricity (as opposed to a partial hybrid like the Vue Green Line that has to have the gas engine running to move the vehicle).
You will have:
- a range of about 400 miles
- a vehicle that makes no compromises for keeping up with traffic
- a new vehicle (if you do that) with a full warranty from a national company
- a proven technology
- all the comfort and convenience features you will want/need
Plus, speaking for Toyota, there has yet to be a nickel metal hydride battery fail. The current record is a Prius with over 360,000 miles with the original NiMH and hybrid system. That is not a typo, and anything you may have seen is an urban myth. So the tech there is extremely stable and reliable.
Another urban myth that I still see being posted is about the Prius being worse for the environment to produce than the Hummer because of the nickel metal hydride batteries. I have addressed this multiple times. Do a search for resolved questions in Yahoo Answers about the Prius and Hummer and you can see why this myth is wrong on many counts.
So, you need to decide how much risk you're willing to accept and how many limitations you want to place upon your driving.
If nothing else, learn to drive what you get,or have, in a new way. One of the main things I teach at my classes is how to maximize mileage with whatever you drive.
I average 51-53 mpg in a Prius, with the air and stereo on, in mixed highway and city driving. This is done by simply taking your foot off the accelerator and coasting (or gently pressing the brake pedal in a vehicle with regenerative braking) beginning at double the distance you'd normally begin to stop. And then pressing on the accelerator like there is an egg under the pedal and you're trying to gently roll the egg out, not crush it.
These two techniques, plus checking your tires 2X a week with a digital tire gauge and not using E85, will go a long way to improve your mileage.
Good luck, and enjoy your new vehicle, whatever it is.