Americans still prefer plain old gasoline according to a recent poll from Harris Interactive. Of more than 12,000 people polled, the majority of respondents were more interested in technologies that provide fuel economy for existing gasoline engines over flexible or clean-fuel engines. Why? Concerns over the higher cost of alternative fuel engines. One in five indicated they would be extremely or very likely to purchase a start stop system or an ECO drive assistant , both of which provide an estimated 10 percent gain in fuel economy. Barely one in six owners said they would be extremely or very likely to purchase flexible fuel engines or a clean diesel engine.
"Consideration for clean diesel engines has been consistent over the past several years of the study, while that of flexible fuel engines has decreased,” says David Duganne, senior research director of Harris Interactive Automotive and Transportation Research. “With the current push of clean diesel by European automakers, we anticipate this will start to increase while consideration for flexible fuel will continue to decrease, especially as other alternative fueled engines continue to come to market."
Even less interest exists for purchasing the newer, more costly and/or fully developed fuel efficient engines. Only one out of 25 vehicle owners are extremely or very likely to consider purchasing fuel cell engines, hybrid-electric engines, plug-in hybrids and pure electric engines. A comparative bright spot is a 10 percent level of consideration of compressed natural gas engines.
In the meantime, interest in technology-driven approaches using traditional gas engines is growing. ECO drive assistant doubled its level of consideration from the 2009 study (19 percent in 2010, up from 11 percent in 2009).
While price is certainly a factor for adoption of newer engine technologies, other barriers also exist. The price of the fuel, the lack of an infrastructure for refueling or recharging, concerns about service and repair of the vehicles and, in the case of the electric vehicles, how long the charge will last in respect to one's daily commute are all detrimental to consumer acceptance.
"Although there are some significant entry barriers, we believe that as consumers become more familiar with alternative fuel approaches, and gasoline costs rise, demand will grow. To raise mass market appeal automakers and government agencies must educate consumers on the benefits they offer, while reducing infrastructure issues,” says David Pulaski, vice president of Harris Interactive Automotive and Transportation Research. “Education must not only address what is being done, but connect with the emotional elements of the concerns. At some point technologies that nip away at enhanced fuel economy aren't going to provide automakers with the gains needed to keep up with industry requirements."
