ELECTRIC VEHICLES 319 I have purposely said little concerning the electric car up to this point.. There are, of course, those who believe strongly in its potential. Commercial electric vehicles-such as short-range delivery trucks-are already in limited use. Electric golf carts and forklift trucks have been around for sometime. It is not surprising that a large investment is already being made in research on electric propulsion systems, powered either by batteries or by fuel cells. There are obvious potential commercial rewards to be realized by the development of any practical electric vehicle--both for the successful developer and for the electric power utilities. A number of electric power companies have recently banded together in one research effort on electric cars. Overall, some $18 million-divided equally between Government and industry expenditures--is now being invested annually in research on electric propulsion systems, according to the recent Federal Power Commission report prepared at the request of the Committee on Commerce. This research will undoubtedly lead to many improvements. But, as was also made clear in the FPC report, many problems must be solved before the electric car can be considered a viable alternative to the gasoline-powered car of today. And the solution of those problems is likely to take many years. We in the petroleum industry are convinced that by the time a practical electric car can 'be mass produced and marketed, it will not enjoy any meaningful advantage from an air pollution standpoint. Emissions from internal-combustion engines will have long since been controlled. The outcome of any competition between the electric car and the internal-combustion-engine car will inevitably be decided by the motoring public. As we see it, the choice of the public will be the internalcombustion engine, because of its convenience, economy, realibility, and flexibility for long- and short-distance driving. In conclusion, I should like to say only this in regard to the legislation before you: We believe, as an outgrowth of your investigation, that the Congress may well conclude, as we have, that an aggressive research effort is already underway-both to improve the internal-combustion engine and to find new means of propulsion-and that significant progress is being made. If the Congress decides, nevertheless, that more Federal money should be added to these efforts, we suggest that it stimulate industryfunds to eliminate autowould be better torather motive pollution, than all to efforts dedicatebyFederal to the promotion of any single possible solution. Gentlemen, that concludes my statement. Thank you very much for your attention. (The attachment to the prepared text follows:) A NEws RELEASE or THE AMERICAN WASHINGTON, D.C., PETROLEUM INSTITUTE, MARCH 17, 1967 WASHINGTON, March 17.-Automobiles powered by internal combustion engines will win out over electric cars, a Senate hearing was told here today. The motoring public will make that choice based on the superiority of conventional engines in convenience, economy, reliability and flexibility for both long-distance and short-distance driving, according to Robert G. Dunlop, board chairman of the American Petroleum Institute. He is also president of the Sun Oil Company.