GM expert calls for fuel rethink - Oil imports `must end'

Adelaide Advertiser
Wednesday 13/8/2008 Page: 59

AUSTRALIA must move to end its dependence on imported oil for transport to capitalise on the country's massive bank of alternative energy sources, according to one of General Motors' energy experts. The car giant's vice president for planning, Larry Burns, said in Melbourne yesterday that LPG should be the first step, followed by everything from compressed natural gas to hydrogen and even solar energy for plug-in electric cars.

"If I did have that magic wand in Australia I would definitely focus on energy diversity," he said. "I would ask myself 'Do I need to be importing any petroleum at all into this country?'. Why would you want to not import petroleum, with all the money that flows out of your economy? Why wouldn't you want to control your own destiny." Mr Burns said GM was keeping its options open on whether to bring the Volt plug-in electric car to Australia - which is to be introduced into the U.S. market by 2010.

"Our immediate focus is to get this car developed and get it in the market in the United States," he said. "We're not getting preoccupied with other possibilities," he said. Mr Burns is responsible for long-term research and planning at GM, a role which sees him deeply involved in future transport choices and a world beyond petroleum. He talked about everything from petrol-electric hybrid cars to high-tech diesel engines, electric cars with onboard generators and, eventually, fuel-cell cars which generate their own power using hydrogen as the fuel.