Alternative Fuels Topic Guide

Alternative Fuels

Transit agencies are increasingly looking to alternatives to traditional fuels to lower emissions and improve the air quality and environment. The resources in this topic guide will assist them with planning, decision making and funding.

National RTAP Resources

  • National RTAP/FTA Low No Emissions Program Grant Writing webinar, 2018
  • National RTAP Used Oil Recycling: Getting Extra Mileage Out of Your Motor Oil technical brief, 2024
  • National RTAP Rural Transit Zero-Emission Vehicle Deployments: Collaborating with your Electric Utility webinar, 2019
  • National RTAP Zero Emission Transition Twitter Chat, 2019
  • National RTAP Learn about Alternative Fuels and Clean Cities and Communities webinar, 2024
  • National RTAP, SUMC, and TWC. Electric Vehicle Maintenance Best Practices, 2022



FTA Resources

Additional Resources

American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transit, 2018


Bureau of Indian Affairs/Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Webinar for the National Electric Vehicle Initiative for Tribal Nations, 2023


Carnegie Mellon University's Which Alternative Fuel Technology is Best for Transit Buses, 2017


Commodity's Renewable Energy Resources by State, 2022


Congressional Research Services (CSR) A Low Carbon Fuel Standard: In Brief, 2021, and Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs, 2021


Drive to Zero's Zero-Emission Technology Inventory is an interactive online resource for commercially available offerings of zero-emission vehicles


EBP US, Inc.'s Supporting Rural Communities Through Clean Transportation Investments, 2020


Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) State and Local Transportation Resources webpage contains regulations, guidance and calculators.


Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) CMAQ Emissions Calculator Toolkit, 2024


FHWA and Oregon DOT. Alternative Fuel Toolkit, 2020


ICF International's Small System Alternative Fuel Strategies Guidance Document, 2017


International Council on Clean Transportation's Update on electric vehicle costs in the United States through 2030, 2019


Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Technical Assistance and Resources for Communities, Cold Weather Impacts on Battery-Electric Transit Buses, 2024, Hot Weather Impacts on Battery-Electric Transit Buses, 2024, Physical Safety and Security at Electric Vehicle Charging Sites, 2024, and Battery Energy Storage for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, 2024


Mass Transit's Navigating the Zero-Emissions Landscape: A Comparative Analysis of Battery-Electric and Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Buses, 2024


National Association of Fleet Administrators' (NAFA) The Changing Fuels Market: What Alternative Fuel Vehicles Mean for Fleets, 2019


National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) On-Road Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Evaluation, Technology Maintenance Readiness Guide for Zero-Emission Buses, and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Driving and Fueling Behavior, 2019, Financial Analysis of Battery Electric Transit Buses, 2020.


National Transportation Knowledge Network's (NTKN) Transportation Sustainability Guide provides a number of resources on fuels and emissions


NCHRP's Zero Emission Vehicles: Forecasting Fleet Scenarios and their Emissions Implications, 2019, and Electric Vehicle Charging: Strategies and Programs, 2023


North Carolina DOT/NC First Commission's Revenue Impact from Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, 2020.


Propane Education & Research Council's article in Busride: Considering Refueling with Propane Autogas or Recharging with Electric? Here’s What to Know, 2019


TCRP's Battery Electric Buses—State of the Practice, 2018, and Examination of Transit Agency Coordination with Electric Utilities, 2024


US Department of Energy's (DOE) Alternative Fuels Data Center Public Transit Vehicles webpage provides statistics, case studies, reports, videos and presentations 


US PIRG's Paying for Electric Buses, 2018, provides case studies of how agencies have been funded


DISCLAIMER: The resources provided in each topic guide are not an exhaustive survey of every available resource on each topic. If you would like to add a resource to a Topic Guide, please email info@nationalrtap.org. This document was prepared by National RTAP with the financial assistance of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The contents do not necessarily represent the opinions or policy of any agency of the U.S. Government, and the U.S. Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. It does not have the force and effect of law and is not meant to bind the public in any way.


Updated April 16, 2025