CLEANER AIR Unleaded petrol in America

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 13

CLEANER AIR Unleaded petrol in America

(Newsweek Feature Service)

In its desire for cleaner air, the American public seems quite willing to have big corporations socked with the multi-million-dollar expenditures often needed to produce nonpolluting products. But when the cost is passed directly along to the consumer, the anti-pollution fervour seems suddenly abated. The new lead-free petrol is a case in point. It greatly reduces the air pollution caused by the automobile: and it adds 1c to 3c to the cost of every gallon of petrol. Also, in the words of one Los Angeles service station owner, it is “probably evaporating faster than it’s selling.” So it goes. Though nearly all major producers have introduced the new petrol or . announced plans to do so, sales are stagnating. “Consumer acceptance was quite strong at first,” says a Texaco spokesman. “But our sales began to taper off after a few weeks.” Mostly, it is the extra cost that is against the new petrol. But there is also a certain confusion in the public’s mind as to just how effective lead-free petrol is. “I don’t feel the public is going to pay 2 or 3 cents more for a product that isn’t going to perform as well as the other product,” says Mr Opal W. Britton, executive director of the Retail Gasoline Dealers’ Association in Michigan. “They care more about their pocketbooks than they do about their air, anyway.” Nevertheless, the Federal government has decided that lead-free petrol is the clearest antidote to pollution, and President Nixon has proposed a federal tax of $4.25

a pound on leaded additives. This would result in a price rise of about 2.3 cents a gallon on leaded fuels. “Without the tax,” says one White House official, “we just don’t know how the average driver can be persuaded to give up leaded petrol. People don’t pollute because they’re evil—it’s just cheaper to pollute than not to and the tax would eliminate that economic incentive.” The car manufacturers are alsd pushing for lead-free petrol. If leaded petrol continues to be used, they say it will be impossible for them to meet the new Federal standards that will take effect in 1975. ■ General Motors has announced that all its 1971 models will run on unleaded petrol. Both Ford and G.M. will sell new cars with leaded petrol in them and advise buyers to switch to lead-free petrol thereafter (on the theory that the first half-tank or so will give sufficient valve lubrication for the engine’s lifetime). American Motors will advise buyers to alternate between leaded and unleaded petrol. Many of the big refiners also favour no-lead petrol. Amoco has marketed a 100octane lead-free petrol for 50 years in certain areas and it is now pushing its new, 91octane lead-free Amoco. Shell is installing 30,000 blue pumps for its new Shell of the future. Standard will come out with Chevron lowlead (about 94 octane) selling for a penny, more than leaded regular and Chevron unleaded (about 91 octane) selling for about 3c more than leaded regular. Strong opposition But other big refiners, and the vast majority of the small and independent companies, are horrified at the $2 billion to $5 billion price tag for converting to lead-free refining. Lead-producing companies, rather predictably, are also opposed. Floyd D. Gottwald, board chairman of the Ethyl Corporation, cites findings by the Bureau of Mines that lead-free petrol would add to pollution because of its special additives. But most signs seem to point to lead-free petrol as the fuel of the future. Union Oil Company’s low-lead petrol has been selling better lately, and both Union and Phillips support the California anti-lead bill. In Chicago, lead-free Amoco is being sold to about 30 customers out of 500. “We’ve got the fuel,” says Mr Walt Rock, a spokesman for the company. “It’s up to the automobile companies from here on in. They’re going to have to hop it a little bit to get it done, but we’re ready.” “Lead is on the way out,” says Mr Fred Guske, who oversees the Amoco stations in Chicago. “By 1975, everyone will be selling unleaded petrol.”