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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release Thursday, April 29, 1999

STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT GORE

The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles represents the very best in public-private cooperative research that will enable us to use the technologies of the 21st Century to grow our economy, produce more jobs and improve the environment.

When we started this project in 1993 to design vehicles that could get up to eighty miles per gallon, meet federal safety and emission standards, and still be affordable for the American public, many people said it was an impossible goal. Half-way through the project's life span the NRC finds that "impressive progress has been made" in finding ways to meet that target.

I am confident that with the proper level of funding support from the Congress, we will achieve our goal. Reaching the goal will be good for the automobile industry, the hard-working members of the UAW, and every American car buyer.

I congratulate the technical teams from the automotive industry who continue to do what many said was impossible -- establish an effective working team of talented scientists from the very different research cultures of government and industry. This talented team has already accomplished much, and while there still remain challenges -- such as finding ways for engines based on new PNGV technologies to meet the new standards for nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions -- I am confident that they will continue on the path of success.

Working together they will literally change the world.

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