© 2024 NPR Illinois
The Capital's Community & News Service
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Illinois Issues
Archive2001-Present: Scroll Down or Use Search1975-2001: Click Here

Fuel for Thought: Lawmakers are trying to turn drivers into energy-efficient consumers

Perched well above $2 a gallon, gas prices hang over summer travelers like vultures. 

Yet SUVs and sedans still lumber across the landscape like the once-ubiquitous buffalo. If climbing pump prices aren't enough to convince motorists to abandon their gas-guzzling beasts, can government steer citizens to more energy-efficient modes of transportation?

Lawmakers certainly are trying. And, nationwide, purchases of more fuel-efficient "hybrid" vehicles rose 81 percent last year, according to R.L. Polk & Co., a leading auto analyst. But with only 83,153 sales, models powered by a combination of gas engine and electric motor accounted for less than 1 percent of the new car market. 

In fact, the gas guzzler is hardly endangered — despite the sticker price. And some of the best-selling automobiles get half as many highway miles per gallon as the most efficient models.  

Still, the geopolitical concerns that constrain American energy consumption have lawmakers looking for ways to encourage fuel-saving options. While the national focus centers on decreasing the country's dependence on foreign oil, state lawmakers are eyeing ways to improve air quality and boost local economies.

In Illinois, legislators see agrifuels as one solution and are supporting proposals to spread the development and use of corn-based ethanol and soybean-based biodiesel. In particular, E-85 fuel, a blend made with 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent reformulated gasoline, is gaining legislative attention.

This spring, lawmakers are promoting E-85 fuel coupons, informational brochures and maps locating E-85 fueling stations across the state for flex-fuel vehicle owners, whose cars are capable of running on gasoline or E-85. They also are seeking to ensure that new additions to the state fleet are capable of running on ethanol or biodiesel. 

Rep. Roger Eddy, a lead proponent for many of these efforts, represents a rural east central Illinois district where corn and soybean fields dot the terrain. The Hutsonville Republican says the legislature's latest efforts aim to steer consumers toward biofuels. 

"In the past, maybe we've been more concentrating on the side of production facilities and providing incentives and funding for producing ethanol," Eddy says. "Now, we need to concentrate on marketing the ethanol that we've produced with those previous incentives. 

It's a natural progression." 

Since 1998, the state has offered cash incentives to drivers, school districts, businesses and local governments that use such alternative fuels as propane and natural gas. A $4,000 rebate is available to buy an alternative fuel vehicle or to convert an existing model. And Illinoisans can reap annual refunds of up to $450 for filling up with E-85 or B-80, a biodiesel fuel that's 80 percent soybean-based. Further, some high-concentration biofuels are exempt from the state sales tax.

Some of these savings, however, may be sapped by more frequent fill-ups. Though politicians and environmentalists tout ethanol as a cleaner-burning fuel, it burns less efficiently than regular gasoline. Ethanol can drop fuel efficiency by up to 15 percent, which means E-85 users might sacrifice a few miles per gallon. 

State officials considered this factor, says Darwin Burkhart, manager of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's clean air programs unit. "While the pump price may be less, the cost to the driver may be a little higher because of that, and our rebate program takes that into account."

Looking for other ways to stretch the odometer, Rep. Jack Franks, a Democrat from suburban Woodstock, wants to establish a $1,000 income tax credit that drivers could claim up to five years after purchasing a hybrid. 

A gasoline engine and electric motor combine to power these vehicles, including popular models such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic. The gas engine and heat created from braking operate together to power the motor, which in turn works with the engine to propel the car, thus cutting down on fuel use and tailpipe emissions. 

Franks' proposal failed to clear any legislative hurdle. He blames the bill's fate on a reluctance to give up taxpayer dollars in a tight budget year.  

Still, Franks suggests the state saves in the long run by decreasing pollution and oil use. "So the analysis is incorrect," he says. "They're not looking at the correct bottom line. I don't see how we can't afford to do these types of things for our future generations."

Other states, among them California, want to extend special driving privileges to hybrid owners, including use of interstate carpool lanes. 

Meanwhile, the federal government offers a $2,000 income tax credit for new hybrid purchases. But that incentive drops to $500 next year and will expire in 2007 unless lawmakers renew the provision — a move President George W. Bush has indicated he would support.

Some question the need for economic incentives, though, given that shoppers often must join six-month waiting lists before they can get behind the wheel of a new hybrid. "They are selling themselves essentially," says Burkhart, the EPA manager.

In fact, the U.S. hybrid market grew tenfold from 2000 to 2004, with registrations of those vehicles jumping from 7,781 to 83,153, according to R.L. Polk & Co., the Michigan-based auto analyst. Last year, the Toyota Prius accounted for 64 percent of new registrations, followed by 31 percent for the hybrid version of the Honda Civic.

Illinois ranks eighth among the states for hybrid ownership, thanks in part to a 74 percent jump in sales from 2003 to 2004. Still, the state has only 2,707 registered hybrids and fewer than a quarter of those are outside the Chicago area.

"Hybrids have gained acceptance with a consumer group that is price conscious and environmentally aware," says Mike Duoba, a research engineer at Argonne National Laboratory, about 25 miles southwest of Chicago. "Gas prices are higher than anyone thought they would be. There's a lot of people who feel like they need to do their part," he says. "It became a statement."

Despite impressive sales growth, hybrids constitute a mere sliver of the U.S. auto market, which registered 17 million sales in 2004. Horsepower and size still trump fuel efficiency for many consumers, according to sales figures from Forbes.com. 

The Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram — all full-size pickup trucks that get less than 22 highway miles per gallon — occupied the top three sales slots in 2004. In fact, U.S. EPA figures show that only one vehicle on the top 10 list gets better than 35 highway miles per gallon. By comparison, the 

Honda Civic hybrid can travel 51 miles of highway on a single gallon and the Toyota Prius registers 60 miles per gallon for stop-and-go city driving, well above federal minimums.

Congress established Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in 1975 with the intent of encouraging energy-friendly car production. Ken Katz, lead engineer of the CAFE program in Washington, D.C., says the standards emerged out of the 1973 to 1974 Arab oil embargoes with the goal of doubling fuel economy by the model year 1985. "Use less oil, pollute less and increase security. Those are the three overriding goals," he says.

But in the past two decades, the federal standards have remained relatively stagnant. An automaker's entire passenger car fleet must meet an average fuel economy of 27.5 miles per gallon, a standard unchanged since 1990. Meanwhile, most trucks, minivans and SUV models must average 20.7 miles per gallon, the standard since 1996. This "light truck" requirement inches up to 22.2 miles per gallon in model year 2007. Heavy trucks of more than 8,500 pounds, including Hummer luxury SUVs that start at $50,000, are exempt from fuel economy standards altogether.

The fuel economy ratings are based on Environmental Protection Agency test figures. However, the standards imposed on automakers vary from the miles-per-gallon stickers affixed to showroom models. The EPA adjusts those numbers to reflect "real world" variances not seen under lab conditions. 

Chris Grundler, deputy director in the EPA's department of transportation and air quality in Ann Arbor, Mich., says the 1985 formula may soon be altered to account for cold-weather driving, air conditioner use, faster drivers and aggressive acceleration. "We think it's high time, especially with a growing awareness of energy in the country. People are paying a lot more attention to what it costs them to fill up their tanks," Grundler says.

The reformulation of the standards may be completed by the end of this year. While it won't affect automakers, Grundler says the new standards can only improve consumer awareness. "One of the most important things a person can do to reduce how much gasoline they use will be in their purchase decision when they're in the market for a new vehicle," he says. "We try to help consumers make an informed choice."

The EPA also offers a Green Vehicle Guide on its Web site, providing consumers with fuel efficiency and environmental ratings for new cars.

As drivers consider their next vehicle purchase, state legislators and automakers are looking for ways to improve the fueling systems of tomorrow, with cars powered by hydrogen or fuel cells getting lots of attention. 

Last fall, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed creating a "hydrogen highway" in that state with fueling stations equipped to handle hydrogen-powered vehicles to encourage fuel conservation and environmental consciousness. Schwarzenegger said he wanted the state to build this network by 2010. His plan would build one station every 20 miles on the state's major highways. 

Though these vehicles haven't hit the mass market yet, interest in the fueling system is high. Hydrogen can be generated by essentially anything, including water, gasoline, coal, natural gas, ethanol, corn, grass, trees or garbage, so the potential of harnessing hydrogen power appeals to lawmakers looking to reduce reliance on foreign oil. 

"The energy security issue becomes something we decide rather than what's available overseas," Argonne engineer Duoba says.

Hydrogen also appeals to environmentalists. But scientists continue to search for ways to store the fuel at the gas station and in the car. "The work we have done so far requires large hydrogen tanks to hold only a few energy gallons' worth of hydrogen. This needs to be worked on to make the hydrogen vehicles commercial," says Don Hillebrand, section leader for vehicle systems at Argonne. Here in Illinois, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel are trying to draw attention to hydrogen fuel. The Chicago 

Democrats want federal funding to create an ethanol-to-hydrogen fueling station in Chicago, which would be used to power about 10 city-owned vehicles.

Current technology allows the traditional combustion engine to run on hydrogen, but automakers want to develop a fuel cell that could make hydrogen fuel easier to employ. Such cells convert hydrogen and oxygen to water, in the process generating electricity to power the vehicle. 

Hillebrand says government incentives might put hydrogen vehicles on the road sooner, perhaps as early as 2010.

The cost of a hydrogen infrastructure will have to be calculated on a state-by-state basis, he says. California, Florida, Michigan and Texas already are paying to bring hydrogen systems to their states, and Illinois has the potential to be hydrogen-friendly in the future. 

"Illinois has coal supplies and biomass," Hillebrand says. "It would be natural for Illinois to be one of the centers of hydrogen competence."

But, as with hybrid cars and flex-fuel vehicles, convincing consumers to move away from gasoline and diesel may carry a cost. "How much is necessary to reach the tipping point to get people comfortable with depending on hydrogen fuel?" Hillebrand asks.

Researchers continue to search for the best environmental options while lawmakers consider ways to convince consumers to re-evaluate their car-buying habits. In the meantime, car sales suggest it will take more than high pump prices to drive gas guzzlers to extinction. 


 

Illinois Issues, June, 2005

Related Stories