High praise for alt-fuel vehicles

Even before the fuel supply woes hit the region, rising gas prices signaled times are changing. Some who predicted times such as this took steps to reduce their dependence on fossil fuel. Bill Eaker of Waynesville is one of them.

Eaker is on his second Toyota Prius, one called the "second generation" hybrid model that uses both gasoline and battery power.

"The first generation was a much shorter, boxier car," he said. "The newer model is a mid-size car and holds five people. There's hatchback to haul things, it has better fuel economy and emissions. It was improved all the way around."

Eaker, who drives from Haywood County into Asheville to his job at the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, reports getting 47.5 miles per gallon.

"Any time you are idling like at a stoplight, you're using no gas and there's no emissions," he said. "Anytime you brake, it turns into electricity."

The even newer technology that is being developed is called a plug-in hybrid vehicle. It relies on a lithium battery that is recharged at night when there is excess power on the grid, Eaker explained. There are some Toyotas on the road using a lithium battery that's available through a converter kit. The Toyota hybrid costs between $ 20,000 and $ 28,000, depending on options, he said. A converter kit is another $ 10,000 or so.

"It will be another year or two before plug-in hybrids will be available," he said.

Paul Super, a biologist with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park who works at the Purchase Knob location, was at the Haywood County fair recently with one of the four Toyota Prius vehicles the manufacturer donated to the park service.

"We use it in our education programs when we talk about air quality," Super said, noting he's been getting about 40 mpg. "It works well in the mountains because it uses no gas going downhill and actually charges for the next hill."

Haywood Community College had two electric vehicles on campus. One is used as part of the recycling program to transport recyclables from the various buildings to a central location. Another is used by campus security.

Debbie Trull, the executive director of administrative services at the college, said both vehicle purchases were made possible through grant funds.

Before having an electric vehicle for the recycling programs, she estimated about three to four gallons of fuel were needed nightly. Now that cost has been reduced substantially since the vehicle is charged at night.

Fuel costs in the security department have been reduced about 60 percent now that an electric vehicle is in use, she said.

"We don't have funding yet, but we're trying to get money to put in a charging center that is entriely solar powered," Trull said.

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