The Vault

CHICAGO (CBS) ― In 1979, as the country was in the midst of an energy crisis brought on by skyrocketing oil prices, the State of Illinois introduced a plan for its vehicles to run on hybrid fuel – decades before the green movement came into vogue.

Saying Illinois was leading the nation, on Nov. 2, 1979, then-Gov. Jim Thompson issued an order that all 10,000 state cars and trucks would be converted to run on gasohol, also called E10 – a mixture of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline.

It was a controversial move, since ethanol was more expensive to produce and would further hike fuel costs. But Thompson said the move would save money and energy.

"There are actually some beneficial side effects," Thompson said. "There's less pollution with gasohol than there is with gasoline, you keep a cleaner engine with gasohol than with gasoline, and as a result of the process of brewing the alcohol, you produce protein for both cattle feed and human food. In effect, you can set up an extraordinary agriculture-energy-economic chain that just keeps going and going and going and going, so I think the benefits far outweigh the detriments."

Former CBS 2 Health and Science Editor Roger Field explained what the conversion meant, and how the new hybrid fuel would work.

At the time, authorized state-owned vehicles filled up with gasoline as usual at state-run filling pumps at 9th and State streets. By and large, state employees did not care what went into their cars as long as they ran.

"Unleaded is fine with me," said state worker Dan Pirrone.

"I didn't hear anything about changing to gasohol," said state worker Milus Jennings. "It doesn't make a difference, as long as I get where I'm going."

While gasohol cost more to produce, Thompson believed the alcohol would not go up in price nearly as fast as oil. He also believed gasohol would get 4 to 6 percent better mileage, and the use of corn to make the ethanol would benefit the state's farmers.

The head of the state's motor pool said the conversion to gasohol probably would not require a changeover or retuning of the vehicles that used it.

Field explained that E10 yielded better mileage than pure gasoline because it burned cooler, causing the engine piston to move more slowly and make more efficient use of gasoline. Diluting alcohol with water would have the same effect, Field said, but obviously would not be advisable because the fuel would freeze.

Of course, in the nearly three decades since the state first adopted a green policy for vehicles, hybrid technology has advanced in leaps and bounds, and the state now has far higher expectations for its motor pool than demanding merely 10 percent ethanol fuel.

In April 2004, Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued an order encouraging the use of biofuels and flexible fuels in state vehicles, and since then, 75 percent of all vehicles purchased by the state have been equipped to run on E85, which is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, according to the state Central Management Services.

In addition, most state trucks can run on a biodiesel blend called B-5, according to Central Management Services.

Since 1998, the state has also offered a rebate program available to individuals, businesses, organizations and local governments, for use of alternate fuels. The program allows consumers to apply for rebates for purchasing or having their engines converted to run on E-85, biodiesel, natural gas, propane, electricity or hydrogen. Gas-electric hybrid vehicles are not eligible, since they are refueled with regular gasoline.

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