In the 1970s, soaring oil prices forced automakers to consideralternatives to gasoline-powered vehicles. But a decline in gasolineprices during the 90s made those vehicles less economically viable. Now, with oil prices at record highs, electric and alternative fuelvehicles are again in demand. As VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports fromArgonne National Laboratory outside Chicago, technology is trying tocatch up to demand.

U.S. automaker General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Volt

At the Detroit Auto Showearlier this year, U.S. automaker General Motors introduced theChevrolet Volt concept car, its long-awaited, "extended range electric"vehicle.  

GM would like to sell the car to consumers soon. But there is one hitch.  

The technology that makes it work doesn't exist yet.

"GM hasstepped way out with their decision to make the Volt because they don'thave a battery yet," Don Hillebrand said. Hillebrand is director ofthe Center for Transportation Research at the U.S. Department ofEnergy's Argonne National Laboratory.

At Argonne, scientists andengineers are studying the lithium-ion battery. The technology wouldultimately power the Volt for up to 40 miles, without gasoline.  

A gasoline-powered backup would then take over and recharge the battery.  

Rightnow the battery for the Volt is unstable. It is also expensive. Whichmeans that running the car would be more costly than using gasoline.

Don Hillebrand

"Sincecompanies like GM, Ford, and Toyota have stepped out front and havebeen willing to try to develop this technology, they're all waiting fora battery that will meet their needs at a cost they can actuallyafford, that consumers can pay for," Hillebrand said. "So a lot of the research we'redoing is focused on trying to provide that battery."

AlthoughGM calls the Volt's technology "extended range electricity," Hillebrandsays it is similar to plug-in hybrids or PHEVs. PHEV technology iscurrently being developed for vehicles like the Saturn Vue SportUtility Vehicle.
 
PHEVs allow drivers to use both a limited range battery, charged from an electrical outlet, and gasoline.

Some companies working on plug-in technology are bringing their vehicles to research engineer Michael Duoba.
 

Michael Duoba

"Infact, we're probably one of the only labs who have done nearly ascomprehensive of testing as anybody of plug-ins, so we've had at leasteight vehicles through here that we've tested, different designs,different manufacturers," Duoba said.

Henning Lohse-Busch,another Argonne researcher, says no technology has emerged as the clearalternative to gasoline. But some solutions, such as commercial hybridtechnology, are already available to consumers. It enables drivers togo short distances on an electric battery before the gasoline enginekicks in, extending the mileage you get from a tank of gasoline. Thebattery is re-charged by the gasoline engine.
 
"Thatwill be the short term..... And in the longer term, you're looking ata plethora of newer technology like plug-in hybrids to possibly likeextreme alternative fuels like hydrogen," Lohse-Busch said.

ThisChevrolet Equinox uses hydrogen. Hydrogen gas powers a fuel cell thatmoves the car. The exhaust is water. There is no pollution.  

This Equinox in the testing facility is part of Challenge X, a competition sponsored by GM and the Department of Energy.  

University students are competing against each other to find ways to make the hydrogen vehicle more efficient.

Hydrogenis clean, but it has limitations. There is no infrastructure fordistributing hydrogen across the United States. So the hydrogen has tobe available locally.

"And that will really depend on where you're located, and what the resources are that you have around you in your states," Lohse-Busch said.

Nevertheless,Japanese carmaker Honda has announced that its hydrogen-powered car,the FCX Clarity, will be available for leasing next year. At first,only 200 will be available, and only in the western state of California.

GM has not yet announced when consumers can own its hydrogen Equinox. It is testing about 100 across North America.

At the same time, GM hopes the Volt will be the answer to current fuel woes. Don Hillebrand agrees. He says, "The Volt is a huge part of the solution actually, if it actually could work," Hillebrand said.

GMhopes to make the Volt widely available by 2010, around the same timethat Toyota intends to introduce a plug-in hybrid to customers in theUnited States.