NEW YORK, N.Y. — In the ongoing effort to optimize commuter rail transportation and promote its environmental benefits, officials in New York City are introducing miniature electric vehicles for the drives to and from the railroad station.

The experimental program, called Think Clean Commute and sponsored by the New York Power Authority, is discussed in the January 2002 issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine, a publication of ASME International (American Society of Mechanical Engineers).

The maker, Ford Motor Company, names the vehicles in the demonstration program "Think City" cars. They resemble golf carts more than automobiles and are equipped with nickel-cadmium batteries. While environmentalists favor the nonpolluting electric vehicles for daily commuting, many hurdles -- economic as well as regulatory -- must be overcome before Think Clean Commute becomes a reality.

For one, the vehicles cost about $30,000, which in most families is a sensible purchase price for the primary car, but unjustifiable expense for a car that sits in a commuter parking lot all day. According to Mechanical Engineering, a "major cost reduction redesign" is underway at Ford that could lower the retail price of the car to about $20,000.

Another issue facing the manufacturer and supporters of Think Clean Commute is the limitation of the nickel-cadmium battery. While nickel-cadmium batteries are more robust than their lead-acid counterparts, Nicad cells require replacement in six to eight years. Average cost: $5,000.

Safety and regulatory hurdles include equipping the vehicles with passenger-side airbags and modifying wipers and headlight patterns to meet U.S. standards.

Under Think Clean Commute, participants lease the electric vehicles from Ford dealers at $199 a month for 34 months. The batteries are recharged at train stations while participants are at work. The railroads kick back $21 toward the monthly commutation ticket of participants.

According to Mechanical Engineering, credits from the railroads along with substantial tax credits from both the state and federal government will be necessary before commuters embrace the program. "The plan is a novel, if costly, way of getting commuters off the gas habit," says the magazine.

ASME International is a 125,000-member organization focused on technical, educational and research issues. ASME conducts one of the world's largest technical publishing operations, holds numerous technical conferences worldwide, and offers hundreds of professional development courses each year. ASME sets internationally recognized industrial and manufacturing codes and standards that enhance public welfare and safety.