ADVISORY/The Rise of Alternative-Fuel Cars
24 April 2000
ADVISORY/The Rise of Alternative-Fuel Cars
--April 24, 2000--TOPIC: "Hybrid" cars now entering the market, which use both gasoline engines and electric motors, are expected to sharply reduce domestic consumption of gasoline, according to industry experts, Nando Media reported. The hybrid models cost more than conventional cars but reportedly make up for it with substantially higher gas mileage, according to industry analysts. Another new breed of car, run by fuel cells which convert hydrogen to electricity, may enter the market as soon as this decade, some experts predict. How long it will take alternative-fuel cars to become mainstream is open to debate. Many experts maintain it could take two decades for alternative-fuel cars to impact gasoline consumption, unless the government issues new directives for fuel efficiency as it did in 1974.
EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:
Jeff Schuster of J.D. Power and Associates is an expert in automotive forecasting and analysis with a focus on global vehicle planning including plant, platform, and model information. He oversees the Global Product Advance and the North American production forecasting operation, including the engine and transmission forecast. 818/889-6330 Jeff.Schuster@jdpa.com, michael.greywitt@jdpa.com
Dr. David L. Hagen of AcrossTech is an expert in mechanical engineering, renewable energy and alternate fuels. 612/781-7020 HagenDL@ASME.org
Chuck Halper, director of services at Hyundai Motor America, has held distribution and manufacturing management positions with several automotive divisions, including Chrysler, Nissan and Infiniti. 714/965-3565 chalper@hmausa.com chosford@hmausa.com
Steven Oshinsky is president and GM of CoPower.com, and is an expert on hydrogen fuel cells. 561/338-3390 SteveO@CoPower.com
Doug Weinberg is vice president of Business Development at Energy Partners and can comment on fuel cell technology and utilities. 561/688-0500 mmcgann@energypartners.org
ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.
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