Press Release

California Air Resources Board Announces Clean-Gas Fuel Efficiency Down as Expected

10/14/96

Fuel-Economy Reduction From Cleaner-Burning Gas Within Expected Range,
According to Statistics

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 10 -- California's 24 million
motor vehicles have not experienced fuel-economy reductions from the
use of cleaner-burning gasoline beyond the small 1 to 3 percent
decrease anticipated by the California Air Resources Board, according
to the latest state statistics on gasoline consumption and vehicular
use.

Gasoline consumption in California in the four-month period from April
to July 1996 was 2.2 percent higher than the same four-month period in
1995, according to records compiled by the State Board of
Equalization.  Average daily-traffic levels on state highways in
April-July 1996 were 1.9 percent greater than the same period in 1995,
according to Caltrans surveys.

"California's 24 million motor vehicles conducted a four-month
scientific fuel-economy test," Air Resources Board Chairman John
Dunlap said. "Early Air Resources Board tests predicted there would be
a very small decrease in fuel economy, and today's results prove that
is exactly what happened."

Cleaner-burning gasoline, which reduces smog-forming emissions from
motor vehicles by 15 percent, has been used statewide since mid- to
late March in accordance with ARB regulations. ARB has said that fuel
economy with cleaner-burning gasoline averages 1 to 3 percent less
than previous higher-polluting gasolines.

Gasoline-tax receipts collected by the State Board of Equalization
show that California motorists consumed an average of 37.7 million
gallons of gasoline per day in April-July 1996. That total is 2.2
percent greater than the average of 36.9 million gallons per day
consumed in April-July 1995 (before cleaner-burning gasoline was in
use), and 2.0 percent greater than the 37.0 million gallons per day
consumed on average in April to July in 1990 to 1995.

Caltrans traffic surveys indicate that at the total number of miles
driven on California's highways increased by an average of 1 percent
per year between 1990 and 1995. The Caltrans data, taken from 17
measuring sites, also indicates that average daily traffic on state
highways was 1.9 percent greater in April-July 1996 than the same four
months in 1995. Caltrans uses the survey data to estimate (within 1
percent) the total vehicle-miles traveled on all state highways.

The tiny statewide decrease in fuel economy in 1996 reflects several
factors in addition to the switch to cleaner-burning gasoline. These
other factors include higher speed limits, weather, vehicle turnover
and the relatively small uncertainties in tabulating gasoline and
vehicular use.

Because these and other factors cause small variations in statewide
fuel economy from year to year, the tiny actual decrease in fuel
economy in April-July 1996 is consistent with the expected 1 to 3
percent reduction specifically from the switch to cleaner-burning
gasoline.

"If the fuel-economy loss from cleaner-burning gasoline had been
significantly more than 3 percent, we would have seen a steep,
unmistakable increase in gasoline consumption. As we expected, the
switch to cleaner fuel didn't even stand out among the factors that
influence fuel economy throughout the state from year to year," Dunlap
said.

"The concern that poor fuel economy would negate the gasoline's
clean-air benefits also was groundless," Dunlap said. "Airborne levels
of cancer-causing benzene in California dropped by half or more this
spring due to the use of cleaner gasoline. And, the decrease in
ground-level ozone throughout the state this summer was consistent
with what we expected from cleaner gas."

Cleaner-burning gasoline has approximately 1 to 3 percent less "energy
content" than previous gasolines, and therefore leads to a comparable
reduction in fuel economy. The relationship between fuel economy and a
gasoline's energy content is well established, and measuring a fuel's
energy content is a straightforward procedure. Separate tests by ARB
and industry researchers also verified the 1 to 3 percent fuel-economy
reduction from cleaner-burning gasoline.

Measuring fuel economy from an individual vehicle and establishing the
cause of a change in fuel economy is surprisingly complicated. Vehicle
owners who wish to analyze their fuel economy should consider a number
of factors that can influence fuel economy to a far greater extent
than gasoline.

These factors (and the resulting decrease in fuel economy) include:
driving at 70 mph instead of 55 mph (as much as 25 percent); "hard"
acceleration (12 percent or more); use of air conditioning or the
defroster (as much as 21 percent); and underinflated tires (3 to 6
percent).

For more information on cleaner-burning gasoline, please access the
ARB website at http://www.arb.ca.gov/.