Title 42 › Chapter 134— ENERGY POLICY › Subchapter I— ALTERNATIVE FUELS—GENERAL › § 13211
Defines words used later in these parts so people know what each one means. It gives short plain meanings for terms like Administrator, alternative fuel, vehicle types, who must follow the rules, and what counts as fuel. Administrator means the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Alternative fuel means methanol, denatured ethanol and other alcohols; mixtures with 85 percent or more (or another percentage not less than 70 percent set by the Secretary) alcohol by volume; natural gas (including liquids made from natural gas); liquefied petroleum gas; hydrogen; coal-derived liquid fuels; fuels (other than alcohol) made from biological materials; electricity (including solar); and any other fuel the Secretary decides by rule is mostly not petroleum and gives big energy security and environmental benefits. Alternative fueled vehicle means a dedicated or a dual fueled vehicle and includes certain new fuel-cell, advanced lean-burn, and qualified hybrid vehicles and any other vehicle the EPA Administrator shows to the Secretary will cut petroleum use a lot. Comparable conventionally fueled motor vehicle means a gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle that is on the market when compared and has similar passenger or payload space. Covered person means someone who owns or controls a fleet with at least 20 centrally fueled vehicles used mainly in a metropolitan area that had a 1980 population of 250,000 or more and who has at least 50 vehicles in the United States. Dedicated vehicle means a vehicle built to run only on alternative fuel. Domestic means made from resources in the States, DC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, other U.S. territories or possessions, including the outer Continental Shelf, or from a country with a free trade agreement that requires national treatment for trade. Dual fueled vehicle means a vehicle that can run on alternative fuel and on gasoline or diesel. Fleet means a group of 20 or more light-duty vehicles used mainly in a metropolitan area with a 1980 population of more than 250,000 that are centrally fueled or can be centrally fueled and are owned or controlled by a person or related persons who have 50 or more such vehicles; it does not include rental or lease-to-public vehicles, dealer sales vehicles, manufacturer test vehicles, law enforcement, certain emergency vehicles (including those used to repair transmission lines and restore electricity after outages), military vehicles exempted for national security, nonroad vehicles, or vehicles normally parked at a personal residence at night. Fuel supplier means people who import, refine, or process crude oil into motor fuel; who import, produce, store, transport, distribute, or sell motor fuel; or who generate, transmit, import, or sell electricity. Light duty motor vehicle means a light duty truck or vehicle under section 7550(7) with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds or less. Motor fuel means any substance suitable to fuel a motor vehicle. Motor vehicle has the meaning given in section 7550(2). Replacement fuel means the part of any motor fuel that is methanol, ethanol, other alcohols, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, coal-derived liquids, fuels (other than alcohol) from biological materials, electricity (including solar), ethers, or any other fuel the Secretary decides by rule is mostly not petroleum and gives big energy security and environmental benefits.
Full Legal Text
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 13211
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60