challenge too. They don't always have to take our word for it. In a sense, that alleviates the reliance on trust, or from another perspective, it buttresses trust. One caveat is that the Department of Energy is the primary government agency that is engaged with us in solving the technical challenges, so other government agencies have a less direct basis for understanding.

Beyond the technology projects, there is considerable evidence that PNGV is creating a push to develop advanced technologies for enhanced fuel economy. Early PNGV activity appears to have spurred early activity in JCAR and EUCAR (corresponding Japanese and European car programs), which in turn create a competitive environment for fuel efficiency. As a result, Toyota has announced the introduction of a moderate-sized car with a hybrid electric drivetrain for the United States in 2000, and General Motors has announced a hybrid electric truck, just to name a couple. So the spin-offs are already beginning. The PNGV focus, however, is to push the development to an even higher level of fuel efficiency.