The U.S. Energy Information Administration said the number of alternate fueled vehicles (AFVs) in use in the U.S. is expected to reach 403,000 by yearend 1998, an increase of about 70,000 from 1995.
EIA said about 70% of the vehicles will operate on propane, while 20% will use natural gas. Alcohol-fueled and electric vehicles will make up the rest.
It said, for 1998, California and Texas will continue to lead the nation with 66,000 and 43,000 AFVs, respectively. These are net increases of about 15,000 AFVs in California and 10,000 in Texas since 1995.
Preliminary results from EIA's third survey of the AFV industry indicate that in 1997 nearly 25,000 AFVs were completed and made ready for delivery to dealers or users.
Nearly half of the 1997 AFVs were natural gas vehicles, a third operated on propane, and the rest were either alcohol-fueled or electric vehicles.
The single largest category of AFVs made available in 1997 consisted of compressed natural gas pickup trucks and cargo vans.
EIA estimates for 1996 show that alternate and replacement fuels (including oxygenates added to gasoline) account for 2.5% of the fuel used (on a gasoline-equivalent gallon basis) in onroad vehicles, up from 1.6% in 1992. However, from 1996 to 1998, the percentage of alternate and replacement fuel consumption is expected to remain nearly unchanged.
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