County Unveils Its ‘Flexible Fuel’ Car

The crisis in the Persian Gulf and its effect on gasoline prices were on the minds of county officials Friday as they unveiled one of four newly purchased “flexible fuel” vehicles that will be used by the county in the place of four gasoline-powered cars.

The 1991 Ford Crown Victorias have the ability to run on methanol, a clean-burning fuel that can be produced domestically from remote natural gas, coal or biomass. The sedans can also operate on gasoline or on a combination of methanol and gasoline.

Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder, who presided over the unveiling at an Arco station in Santa Ana, said experimentation with methanol will give the county a chance to take a closer look at a fuel she said is not only better for the environment, but could make the United States less dependent on foreign oil.

The cars will be used on a routine basis by county employees during their workdays. One of the cars will also be available to department and agency heads, said Wieder’s spokeswoman, Barbara Foster.