Driving cross-country or even around town in an alternative fuel vehicle used to require drivers to do a little homework to find the nearest fueling station—but not anymore. Consumers on-the-go can now access the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Alternative Fueling Station Locator using their cell phone, BlackBerry, or other personal digital assistant (PDA).

The Mobile Alternative Fueling Station Locator allows drivers to find the five closest biodiesel, electricity, E85 (ethanol), hydrogen, natural gas, and propane fueling sites. This convenient tool uses well-known, easy-to-navigate Google Maps to automatically generate maps to fueling sites and lists each station’s contact information and business hours. Detailed driving directions and an instant phone connection to the station can all be accessed at www.afdc.energy.gov/stations/m/.

The mobile station locator is part of the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) Web site. It was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which manages the AFDC. The tool is sponsored by the Clean Cities initiative, a government-industry partnership sponsored by DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program.