The 2004 spike in gasoline prices left many drivers shaking their heads, as it cost about $35 to fill the tank of a full-sized automobile, and $75 to gas up an SUV. There are, however, some exciting new technologies that could soften the impact of future fluctuations in gasoline prices.

As a member of the Metropolitan Baltimore Clean Cities coalition, BMC was instrumental in organizing the 2004 Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Day Odyssey on April 4 at the Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville. Baltimore was one of 34 cities hosting 2004 Odyssey events to showcase cleaner and more energy-efficient choices in transportation. The "next generation" of fuel-efficient vehicles is here, and students, fleet managers and the general public came out to see them.

As technology has advanced beyond vehicles laden with electric storage batteries and cars requiring special fueling stations, the market has expanded from fleet vehicles to the family car. The major auto manufacturers are beginning to offer hybrid vehicles, combining a gasoline engine with an electric motor, in a variety of models, including an SUV. Gas mileage is typically 50 percent higher than with a conventional internal combustion engine.

As the world has changed and the market advanced, the Clean Cities program broadened its outlook. Created in 1993 to help meet EPA requirements for mandated vehicle fleets, Clean Cities has redefined its mission as reducing our dependence on foreign oil through increased use of fuel blends such as ethanol and biodiesel, fuel economy practices, market penetration of hybrid vehicles, and idle reduction technologies for heavy-duty vehicles. Baltimore is one of 80 Clean Cities coalitions throughout the country.