There is an interesting article in the San Francisco Chronicle today about a Richmond business, CytoCulture, owned by Richmond resident, Randall Von Wedel, that is pioneering the use of biodiesel fuel, typically made from waste cooking oil from restaurants and from soybeans. Berkeley is using the fuel to power its ten recycling trucks. The article may be found at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/04/24/MN173825.DTL. 

Incidentally, the City of Richmond does have several electric cars used by City staff for routine City business.