Biofuels better for electric cars (than directly in the tank), from ScienceNOW Daily News (Science magazine):

"Biofuels work better if you don't put them directly into your car. That's the conclusion of a new study that shows that ethanol derived from corn and switchgrass allows cars to drive farther and emit less greenhouse gases if these crops are converted to electricity for powering electric vehicles rather than pouring the ethanol into the gas tank.

Biofuels are widely considered a better environmental alternative than fossil fuels. Even though they release carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned, the same amount of CO2 is reabsorbed as the next crop of plants grows. What hasn't been well-understood is whether it's better to convert crops to ethanol that can be burned in conventional internal combustion engines or to burn the crops to generate electricity that can power electric vehicles."