Electric Cars for Alaska

Electrically driven family autos capable of carrying six passengers over a range of 200 miles, and which are cost competitive with conventional cars, still are 25 years or so away, according to a recent statement by a committee of the National Academy of Sciences. For use in cold climates, such cars may even then be impractical.

Nevertheless, increasing air pollution from autos and other sources and the need to conserve energy are making it essential to develop better means of family transportation than we have now. Of Alaskan cities, Fairbanks, with its pollution-trapping air inversions, seems most likely to be the one to first have to abandon conventional autos.

If electric cars are not the answer, what is? The National Academy report offers one possibility--a car with a very small gasoline engine that can be coupled to a flywheel. Such a device could preserve the range and flexibility of the gasoline-powered vehicle while markedly improving mileage and reducing emissions. While it is an attractive concept, much development is required. Don't look for a flywheel-equipped car in next year's models.