The CEC's 20-
$102 million methanol bus program in favor
tured from crude oil. One pound of
of the latest diesel options. Breakdowns were
gasoline contained as much chemi-
year push for
occurring in the city's 133 methanol buses
cal energy as the electricity held in
methanol has
twice as often as in conventional diesel buses
one hundred pounds of the lead acid
been quietly
because of the corrosive effect of methanol
batteries then in use. Refueling a car
on engine parts. Seattle and Marin County
with gasoline was measured in min-
abandoned.
(California) also dropped their methanol bus
utes, on-board storage was a snap,
programs for the same reason.1 4 9
supplies appeared to be limitless,
The CEC's 20-year push for methanol
and long-distance fuel delivery was
has been quietly abandoned. Whereas in
relatively cheap and easy. With these
1993 the CEC had predicted a million vehi-
attributes, gasoline dominated the
cles would be fueled by methanol by the
fuel marketplace. By 1920, electric
year 2000, the number across the United
cars had virtually disappeared.1 5 1
States is around 20,000 and falling.
Methanol was not even mentioned as a
The Worldwatch Institute has also docu-
transportation-fuel alternative in the most
mented the rise and fall of electric vehicles.
recent California Energy Plan,1 5 0 testament to
"Although electric cars and a variety of
other [alternative-fuel] vehicles were popu-
the perils of picking winners and losers
lar at the turn of the century," summarized
before the marketplace does.
Christopher Flavin and Nicholas Lenssen,
Electric Vehicles
"they were pushed aside by improvements
in the internal combustion engine and the
Electric vehicles once dominated the
falling price of the gasoline used to run
mechanized transportation market in the
it."1 5 2 Disputing the claim that the electric
United States. A study from the Renewable
Energy Policy Project summarized:
vehicle is the car for the 21st century, the
American Petroleum Institute noted that it
In 1900, electric vehicles outnum-
was "more suitable for the late 19th centu-
bered gasoline vehicles by a factor of
ry, when society was geographically com
-
two to one; an electric race car held
pact and people tended to travel much
the world land speed record. Their
shorter distances."1 5 3
quiet, smooth ride and the absence of
Electric cars entering the commercial
difficult and dangerous hand crank
market today are much more costly and less
starters made electric vehicles the car
convenient to operate than conventional
of choice, especially among the urban
vehicles. Since introducing its electric vehi-
social elite. Early in this century, there
cle in late 1996, General Motors has sold
were more than one hundred electric
that model (EV1) to carefully screened,
vehicle manufacturers.
upper-income customers who treat the cars
more as showpieces than as substitutes for
Improvements in the internal combustion
their conventional vehicles. The select cus-
engine and plentiful oil and oil products
tomers receive a variety of subsidies and
reversed the competitive equation. The same
special services. In return for its substantial
study explained:
investment, General Motors receives favor-
able publicity and goodwill from regulators
The weight, space requirements,
weighing a "zero emission vehicle" man-
long recharging time, and poor
date, as they are in California. Ordinary
durability of electric batteries under-
consumers receive little: the cars are more
cut the ability of electric cars to com-
expensive even with subsidies, require extra
pete with much more energy-dense
expenses such as home recharging facilities,
gasoline, an energy carrier manufac-
are less safe (40 percent lighter than regular
25