U.S. Government Changes Goal of Motor Vehicle Research Program
The New York Times reports that the U.S. Government is abandoning its $1.5 billion gasoline-powered vehicle efficiency project. Instead, the government will operate a program to encourage the development of motor vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Efforts to increase fuel economy have failed primarily because consumers and businesses want large, flexible vehicles. Most of the fuel economy efforts have been focused on incremental changes to vehicles that end up making them smaller and lighter. If American auto manufacturers were able to produce SUVs that ran on hydrogen, were about the same price, and required as little maintenance as gasoline-powered vehicles, consumers would buy them.