Engines of Change

Imagine a car that saves you money, cleans up the environment, and helps us kick the oil habit.

More On:

•  

The Holy Grail for Automakers

I am driving through downtown Washington, D.C., in a white GM minivan with friendly blue-bubble decals decorating the sides. Paint job notwithstanding, it seems to be a perfectly normal car. As I cruise past lobbyists and lawyers with the nonchalance of a soccer mom, no one looks askance at my van. And why should they? It's emitting no noxious pollutants and the engine seems to purr rather than growl. I am driving a hydrogen-powered automobile -- so clean, you can literally drink from the exhaust pipe (I've seen it done) -- and it's a smooth, peppy ride.

It's also the holy grail for automakers, environmentalists, political leaders -- and, most important, drivers everywhere (whether or not we realize it yet). What's not to like about a vehicle that combats global warming, offers hope of weaning the world off Mideast oil, and could save on fuel costs? More than anything, though, the development of the hydrogen car, along with other alternatives, is a response to one unsettling fact: The world will one day run out of oil. And that day may arrive sooner than most of us would think.

Industry experts at the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) predict that by 2008, we may have extracted half the available global supply of oil. While it took us the better part of the last century to reach this halfway point, it will take significantly less time to consume the rest. With more industrialized countries, more cars, trucks and buses, and more demand than ever for home heating and appliances -- just think China -- oil could reach depletion more quickly than we once assumed. So the race is underway to find affordable fuel alternatives, as well as new ways to conserve our remaining oil.

For car manufacturers and a growing number of consumers, the future is now -- in the form of the latest generation of hybrid vehicles. Toyota, Honda and Ford have led the charge with technology that pairs a small gasoline engine with an electric motor that actually powers the car without high levels of pollution. The electric motor and gasoline engine is more efficient than a combustion engine. According to the Alliance to Save Energy, in 2004, SUV drivers spent about $1,225 on fuel, while passenger cars cost $976 to run. Hybrid drivers only spent between $350 and $450.

Also, hybrids have solved a big drawback of energy-efficient electric cars, which need to be recharged regularly -- literally plugged into a power source. Hybrids like Honda's Insight, Civic and Accord, and Toyota's Prius, charge the battery as you drive. Plus, some can travel more than 600 miles on a tank of gas.

To entice people to buy these cleaner, more efficient cars, the federal government is offering owners a one-time $2,000 tax deduction. Local governments are offering incentives too. Hybrid owners in Los Angeles receive parking exemptions; in Connecticut, residents whose energy-efficient cars get at least 40 miles per gallon are exempt from the sales tax on the car; Pennsylvania owners are eligible for a $500 rebate at purchase; and in Virginia, hybrid drivers can take advantage of the HOV (high-occupancy- vehicle) lane -- no matter how many passengers are on board.

According to Bradley Berman, editor of HybridCars.com, 88,000 of these automobiles were sold in the United States last year -- that's nearly double the previous year and about ten times as many sold in 2000. This year alone, the chic Prius is on track to sell some 45,000, despite six-month waiting lists.

• Putting a Cap on Oil
• Six alternative fuels that finally make sense.
• 
• The Car of the Future: It Talks, It Thinks, and It Can Drive Itself
• Imagine a car that runs on new energy, acts smarter, and looks a whole lot different.
• 

Sponsored Links