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Flex-fuel market drives forward, slowly
Hybrid cars have an electric motor and a gas engine


Although hybrid and flex-fuel cars have been around since the mid-1990s, consumer interest in alternative fuel vehicles have been slow to gain momentum.

With flex-fuel cars, part of the problem is the lack of consumer knowledge due to insufficient marketing by the auto industry. In Wisconsin, the other drawback is that the infrastructure to support the flex-fuel car market is severely lacking.

"There are only about 110 gas stations in Wisconsin that offer E85 fuel, whereas Minnesota has 3,000," said Tony Pirlot, manager of Five Corners Pontiac/GMC Truck Center in Cedarburg. "For every GMC make and model, there is a flex-fuel option. They’re not a complete fix for our nation, but they sure could help out in the state."

Flex-fuel vehicles can operate on multiple fuel blends and gas that has a much higher ratio of ethanol.

Michael Brewer, general manager of Russ Darrow in Cedarburg, said 60 percent of the cars at the dealership use flex fuel, and that the engines are available in all models offered by the dealer. Brewer predicts that within a year or two, flex-fuel engines will be the standard.

"Now, even bigger vehicles like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Pacifica can all be bought with flex-fuel engines," Brewer said.
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Hybrids popular with certain segments

Hybrid cars have an electric motor and a gasoline engine, which at higher speeds charges the battery. The electric motor operates the car at lower speeds of up to 25 mph.

Schmit Ford Lincoln Mercury in Thiensville sells several hybrid models, such as the Ford Escape and the Mercury Mariner. Schmit sales associate Mark Doedens said the dealer has had hybrids on the lots for three years now, selling between 100 to 150 hybrids during that time.

"We have been able to fill most of our hybrid orders," said Doedens. "They are very popular with a certain segment of the population, but not everyone has warmed up to the idea of saving the environment."

Although U.S. sales of hybrid cars may be starting to slow after rising more than 25 percent between 2005 and 2006, they are still in demand as industry sources predict steady growth.

Several hybrid car owners in Ozaukee County have had them for several years and generally are enjoying them with few problems and very good gas mileage.

Cedarburg resident Eugene DeBroux purchased his Toyota Prius in 2001 at the demonstration model price of about $20,000. He decided to buy the Prius because he wanted to make a difference with less emissions.

"I thought there would be a fuel-cost advantage over the long run and that the lower cost in amount of fuel would make up for the higher cost of the vehicle," said DeBroux, who averages about 50 miles per gallon with his Prius during the summer and close to 45 miles during the winter months.

The Cedarburg Light and Water Utility Department also purchased a 2001 Toyota Prius to use when reading meters. The utility qualified for a grant that helped pay for the car, department General Manager Dale Lythjohan said.

If flex-fuel vehicles become more prevalent, Lythjohan could envision the utility having its own E85 pump but feels the real future in alternative fuel technology is the plug-in electric/gas vehicles that are being developed.

"Those cars have a larger battery that you can plug in to recharge over night when the electric rates are lowest," Lythjohan said. "But it still has a gas engine as well."

Cedarburg resident Brian Whelihan bought another type of hybrid, a Ford Escape.

Whelihan said he chose the Escape, a four-wheel drive, because he was looking for a hybrid that was reliable in the snow and ice.

"I thought it was safe and drove better than the Prius, but the fuel efficiency is not as good," Whelihan said, noting that the Escape gets about 27 miles per gallon. "On the plus side, the SUV handles very well, and I’m glad I bought it. Even though it is not as green as I would have liked."

Ken Keuler of Thiensville drives a Prius and is part of a regional group called the Milwaukee Hybrid Group. While Keuler enjoys his hybrid, his real aim is to convince people to do less driving to help the emissions problem.

"Buying a hybrid is only one of many things people can do to to decrease the consumption of oil," said Keuler. "Not everybody is going to want to own a hybrid, so we are encouraging people to buy a car that gets better gas mileage."

At this point, Keuler said he would consider a flex-fuel car, but he does not think using flex-fuel cars solve the gasoline problem.