Most drivers who own FFVs probably don't even realize their vehicles can operate on ethanol. Those who do are more than likely filling up with gasoline since only a few hundred E85 stations are found across the country. If an FFV is running on ethanol, it's emitting lower levels of some specific pollutants, thus reducing emissions and encouraging energy diversity. However, it's important to note that ethanol contains less energy than gasoline, so a vehicle running on this alternative fuel will actually get fewer miles per gallon than when it's running on gasoline.
A fuel-saving technology that holds great promise is the hybrid-electric drivetrain. The pairing of a conventional internal-combustion engine with an electric motor has been successful in the passenger-car market, so why not trucks? That's the line of thinking that has led Ford to develop the Escape Hybrid and General Motors to offer the first "mild" hybrid pickup trucks. Others will soon follow, including the Lexus RX 400h, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and a limited run of Dodge Ram hybrids for fleet use. All of these hybrid trucks will offer varying degrees of fuel-economy improvement over their conventional counterparts.
Inefficient by nature
To understand why trucks fall on the more inefficient side of the automotive equation, we need to consider their basic design. Most pickups incorporate body-on-frame construction, in which fully boxed or open C-channel side rails are arranged in a ladder frame. The body structure and suspension pieces are then attached to this frame. Favored for its durability and strength, the body-on-frame design's limitation is that it's generally heavier than the unitized body construction used in most cars and many newer SUVs.
The towing and hauling prowess expected of trucks requires additional bolstering of this structure, which in turn adds even more weight. These vehicles' tall, typically upright design and boxy body shell make for less than exceptional aerodynamics, as well. All of these factors combine to create excellent capability and utility, but not fuel efficiency.
Generalizations like these, however, are problematic in that the definition of a truck in today's automotive market is decidedly ambiguous. In fact, many newer SUV designs are essentially nothing more than passenger cars with body cladding and a higher ride height.
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