Study Shows Waning Interest In Flex Fuels, Diesel

In a recent JD Power and Associates study, nearly eight of ten consumers indicated that the US is in the midst of an energy crisis, and also believe that gas prices will continue to rise.

Only two of ten consumers believe that small vehicles that provide excellent fuel economy ratings will help to address the crisis.Nearly seven of ten consumers say that automakers should focus more energy on developing emerging powertrain technologies for all vehicle market segments instead of just focusing these technologies on small vehicles.

Sixty-two percent of consumers who responded to the survey indicated that they had considered the purchase of a hybrid vehicle. That figure is up 12% from a similar survey taken in 2007. Consumers are less interested in flex-fuel vehicles, and interest in clean diesel is also down significantly from 2007. The survey notes that the decline in consumer interest in diesel may stem from the substantial increase in the cost of diesel fuel since 2007. Although diesel fuel remains higher than gasoline, diesel engines are typically more efficient, and produce better mpg than gasoline engines do.

Forty percent of survey respondents indicated that the automakers should focus on developing novel propulsion systems that are not widely available in 2008, like fuel-cell and electric vehicles. Thirty percent of respondents say the best course of action is a developmental mix of hybrid technologies, clean diesel and flex-fuel vehicles.

The report also recognized environmentally friendly vehicles and noted that fifteen of the top 30 most environmentally conscious vehicles in 2008 were developed by just four companies: Toyota, Chevrolet, Honda and Nissan.

Source: JD Power and Associates
Photo: Stephanie Berghaeuser