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ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Emphasizing the petroleum industry's support for cleaner air, Dunlop said that
emissions from internal combustion engines will be controlled long before a
practical electric car can be mass-produced and marketed. He said 1968 model
cars will emit 66 percent less hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide than was the
case a few years ago because of pollution-control devices on the vehicles. Currently being evaluated are other types of control equipment which will cut hydrocarbon losses to 17 percent of pre-control levels -and make massive reductions
in emissions of nitrogen oxides, he added.
Dunlop cited these developments as examples of the work being done by
automotive and petroleum companies 'to curb air pollution. In addition, be
said, the American Petroleum Institute is spending $2 million a year on pollution research, including the problem of automotive emissions.
The API chairman appeared at a joint hearing of the Senate Committee
on Commerce and the Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution of the Committees on Public Works considering proposals for federally-sponsored research
to abate automotive air pollution. One of the bills proposes that federal funds
be spent exclusively to develop an electric automobile.
Dunlop quotted a recent Federal Power Commission report as saying that
about $18 million a year-divided equally between government and industry
expenditures-is now being invested in research on electric propulsion systems,
f.
powered eitlher by batteries or by fuel cells.
If Congress decides that additional federal money should be spent on research, "we suggest that it would be better to stimulate all efforts by industry
to eliminate automotive pollution, rather than to dedicate federal funds to the
promotion of any single possible solution," Dunlap concluded.
Senator BAYH. Thank you very much, Mr. Dunlop.
I understand that the distinguished senior Senator from New
Hampshire is an acquaintance of yours. I thought you might want to
ask some questions of Mr. Dunlop.
Senator COTTON. First, may I say I am much impressed by your
statement. I think it is one of the clearest, most concise presentations
we have had in this committee for sometime.
There are one or two matters that I would like to explore a little
further. If I ask any questions that call for trade secrets of the petroleum industry, disregard them. We don't expect you to answer them.
What is the situation in relation to air pollution as between the
use of so-called high test or low test gasoline?
Mr. DUNLOP. Actually the variables in the gasoline, as far as the
level of the investigations to date, frankly, Senator, don't indicate a
very appreciable difference between pollutants from high test gasoline andgasoline having a low octane number. This, however, is one
of the fundamental purposes that we have in mind in undertaking
this study at the Bureau of Mines laboratories in Bartlesville. We
are very interested in determining what is the effect of variation
of the components in gasoline, all the components in gasoline, and
additives that might be put in gasoline, in the area of auto emissions.
This is why we are so interested in undertaking this particular line
of investigation.
Senator COTTON. From the standpoint of a layman, with no technical knowledge whatsoever, it is my understanding that some of the
pollution--or most of the pollution caused by automotive enissionis failure in the internal combustion engine to consume all of the
gasoline.
Mr. DUNLop. You are correct sir One of the primary areas of concern is the unburned hydrocarbons that will be coming out of the
exhaust. This is frankly-the evidence to date indicates-more a condition of the combustion process than it is the fuel variables that
might be put into the gasoline.