LONDON - A New York Times article highlighted the advantages of gasoline over biofuels and electricity as they relate to fueling automobiles.

The Times suggested that gasoline-powered cars might be the "least-worst" option, as biofuels have generated controversy as contributing to higher food prices, and all-electric vehicles are limited by price and output.

Last week, Mitsubishi and Nissan announced plans for battery-only electric cars, which will sell for roughly $40,000-$42,000. And a single charge on those cars will yield roughly 100 miles, far less than what a gasoline-powered car attains.

"The electric vehicle sector certainly has momentum, but it??s questionable whether it has the legs for the longer term, at least at the moment, and whether it has enough scale," said Peter Wells at the Center for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University in Wales. "I don??t see any major breakthrough on the horizon."

Sales of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles are expected to reach 1.3 percent of 67 million light vehicle sales this year, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

Battery-powered, all-electric vehicles are expected to amount to 20,000 units, though by 2015, they could achieve a 0.3 percent market share.

In the meantime, automakers are making smaller engines that are more fuel-efficient, and carbon emissions savings of both electric cars and biofuels are disputed.

"I think oil-based transport fuels have such a competitive advantage and dominance that you need a compelling argument to move to something different, and the case has not been made for what that is," said Chris Mottershead, vice principal of research and innovation at King??s College London.