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Big cars won't be abandoned- change won't happen that fast. We had our $4 gas "wake-up call" and as of today the roads are still clogged with tards in single occupant SUVs and mud trucks. I think the fleet will see a painfully slow gradual conversion to higher fe ONLY WHEN fuel prices go high enough to cause some pain, as in gee, I've maxed out my borrowing power and now I have no other option but to choose between food and shelter, or tearing around in my stupidmobile.
I like ethanol if only for the fact that it is one alternative that got out of the lab and into the real world. And we need to take action on exploring alternatives to petrol on a large commercial scale. There are ALWAYS unforeseen twists, turns, and consequences in the real world that ruin our nice little theories. If nothing else ethanol gives a start on a knowledge base for what issues may be waiting for alternative fuels.
I tend to believe that the energy conversion for ethanol isn't as horrible vs. petrol as many say. I think the difference is petrol has been around so long we are accustomed to subsidies and inefficiencies of it- they're considered normal and quite invisible to the consumer.
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