THE CHALLENGES OF CHANGE IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY - WHY ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Development of vehicles to operate an nonpetroleum fuels began in earn est in response to the energy shocks of the 1970s. While petroleum wil l remain the pre-dominant, transportation fuel for a long time, petrol eum supplies are finite, so it is not too soon to begin the difficult transition to new sources of energy. In the past decade, composition o f the fuel utilized in the internal combustion engine has gained recog nition as a major factor in the control of emissions from the tailpipe of the automobile and the rate of formation of ozone in the atmospher e. Improvements in air quality can be realized by using vechicles that operate on natural gas, propane, methanol, ethanol, or electricity, b ut introduction of these alternative fuel vehicles presents major tech nical and economic challenges to the auto industry, as well as the ent ire country, as long as gasoline remains plentiful and inexpensive.