He that leaveth nothing to chance will do very few things ill, but he will do very few things.-Lord Halifax

The cautious seldom err.-Confucius

The cost of living has gone up a dollar a quart.-W.C. Fields

To the surprise of only a few people our country's commercial fleets are not exactly embracing alternative fuels. Oh, it's quite topical and full of newly emerging buzzwords. But the fact remains, as the recent NAFA study chart reveals, that those who have more than their toes in the water are the utilities (vested self-interest) and the government (mandated) fleets.

What's the answer to the obvious stagnation of concern or willingness to get a head start on the required conformance that's just around the corner? Well, it may have been our feature story in September of 1991 bellowing the results of our own study. Our headline clearly pointed out the possible staggering costs of some $43 billion to comply.

Or is it our tiers of governmental bodies? We now have the broad Energy Policy Act plus the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 on the federal level. We have other state (California) and regional (Southern California) and municipal (Denver) legislation proliferating throughout the land.

These latter mandates are often stiffer or at odds with the federal laws.

What's even worse is that the interpretation of the Clean Air Act Amendments continues to be delayed, so those with anxieties must keep biding their time (now between administrations) awaiting direction, political winds, and national economic priorities while it gathers moss or cobwebs in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

On top of all that, we still have several horses in the 'great race' to help determine which of the alternative fuels will be leading, show the best results, or have the most effective lobbyists in Washington. And then there is the electric vehicle; the characteristics of which (range/battery) have not markedly changed for the 25 years I've been following the project; but always promise.

The deadline approaches and the government-supported Fed Ex CleanFleet project should tell us more. Similarly, Xerox's testing of M-85s during the past year.

The facing chart still screams out that only 1 5 percent of NAFA's fleets (the larger and more professionally run) are experimenting with "Dedicated Alternative Fuel" vehicles in 1993. Never mind the demonstration vehicles (19% - token testing) or the "Flexible Fuel'' (76%-no real operational change for the car or driver) usage.

The fleet management firms are always ready for another profit center but truly remain passive on alternative fuels. The manufacturers have tried but no fleets want to bother. Reformulated gasoline remains a good possibility but legislators would have to bend.

It's all a mess; with expensive implications. Who do you know who is going to straighten it out? And soon?