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What sort of hybrid vehicle would be better for the environment: plug-in or E85?

Plug-in hybrids will use batteries for city travel, and so they will seem to be cleaner vehicles than typical gasoline engines, but they will use power from the grid, which may be coal-fired, or oil-driven (or in some cases hydro, nuclear or other). So would they be better or worse for the environment than E85 hybrids (which can use 85% ethanol, but in many cases would use less)? Note: I don't drive; just looking for the lesser of two evils for the short-term future auto-dependent population!

Public Comments

1. good question their are many pros and cons hybrid plug in can also be using wind powered generators like on the west cost which dont cause any pollution and e-85 fuel comes from processed corn which comes from a factory which produces pollution. how ever their is a Toyota which cleans up the ozone as it is driven down the highway i guess their is good and bad in everything go od luck on your quest
2. just remember with e-85 you will get lower mpg than if you use regular pump gas. and you will still be releasing noxyieds
3. Plug-in, hands down. A plug-in has the potential to come from renewable, emissions free sources. More importantly though is the problems that will arise from E85. If we go that route our fuel source must now compete with our food source. Couple this with decreased farmland productivity as a result of a scarcity of fertilizers and pesticides (oil derivatives) and the price of E85 and food will increase drastically. This spells disaster not only for the environment but our standard of living. The future belongs to hybrids, but maybe some of those Hybrids will be electric/ethanol hybrids.