Automakers Face Uphill Battle On Alternative Fuels

Automakers are adopting alternative hybrid technologies in their search for the perfect product balance for the driving public. Toyota has announced that it will tackle a compressed natural gas (CNG) hybrid concept and plans to display the vehicle at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The hybrid is based on a Toyota Camry. CNG hasn't gotten a lot of public attention, since CNG-powered vehicles don't have the same range as other alternative-fuel vehicles.

Toyota is primarily interested in CNG because it is plentiful, inexpensive and burns more cleanly than conventional fuels do. By tying CNG to a hybrid powertrain, Toyota will extend the range of the vehicle, although the company admits that the sweet spot for this concept would still be local fleets that can use a centralized filling station. According to the company, there are about 1,000 CNG filling stations in the US, only half of which are open to the public.

The lack of a viable infrastructure for alternative fuel vehicles is a major obstacle to introducing and maturing these technologies. Although a measure passed recently in the House of Representatives would require gas station owners to offer at least one type of alternative fuel by 2018, the measure is heavily weighted to favor E85. Unfortunately, the debate over E85 isn't finished yet, and the impact of a shift in farm production from food to fuel has not yet been deciphered.

The House measure would be much more appealing if it gave equal consideration to other alternative fuel technologies that hold at least as much promise as E85. It would be unfortunate at this stage of the game to prop up an inferior solution at the expense of an alternative fuel technology that has not yet fully emerged.

Photo credit: Jayesh Nair