Bush pushes diesels, hybrids
Clean, efficient engines would earn tax credits; nuclear power encouraged.
WASHINGTON -- Consumers who purchase cars and trucks with new, cleaner-burning diesel engines and gasoline-electric hybrids would be eligible for tax credits under a $2.5 billion initiative President Bush outlined Wednesday.
Making a renewed push to encourage development of new fuels, Bush said he supported wider use of nuclear power as well as ethanol and biodiesel -- diesel fuel extracted from leftover fats and vegetable oils.
He also praised emerging hybrid technology as a crucial step toward the fuel-cell cars of the future.
"Their electronic systems are paving the way for tomorrow's hydrogen-powered vehicles," Bush said.
The cost of driving has soared as the price of oil reached a record $55 a barrel and gasoline prices topped $2.20 a gallon. Tax credits could provide a huge boost for diesel engines, which many in the United States continue to view as noisy and dirty despite major advances.
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