Electric cars might help slash fuel emissions but a committee studying their use has concluded the time is not ripe for replacing petrol-fueled cars.

The Electric Vehicle Demonstration Committee tested various vehicles last year.

They included vans and family sedans as well as runabouts.

Committee member Roger Todd told a meeting at Bermuda Underwater Exploratory Institute last night: "Battery solution electric vehicles are not going to be the solution for the mass population."

Despite demonstrating fuel savings of up to 50 percent they are between 11 percent and 27 percent more expensive to buy and run. While most were easier to maintain than ordinary vehicles, a lack of support structure made them vulnerable when things did go wrong.

And some of the vehicles tested have been discontinued as the big car manufacturers move toward even newer technology.

However the committee believes electric vehicles could work on golf courses, for traffic wardens, metre readers and for delivering mail.

Electric vehicles would be ideal for resorts currently using golf carts for maintenance workers, said the committee. Another suggested use was for shared Government vehicles.

BELCO are to integrate their two trial electric pickups into their fleet after successful trials.

The company may even install charging stations at its outlying depots to augment those at their Pembroke garage.

More promising are hybrid vehicles using a combination of ordinary and electric engine technology offering environmental benefits.

Mr. Todd said the cars used electric power for the speeds up to 20 miles per hour (mph), after which the petrol engine kicked in. For really fast speeds the electric power kicks in as a booster.

The committee recommends using them for taxi, bus and minibus trials because of their high mileage and association with diesel smoke.

Public Transport Board Assistant Director Steven Outerbridge said a team had been dispatched to Las Vegas to find out about the new hybrid vehicles.

He said: "PTB is keeping its eyes open about new technology as it develops."

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said electric vehicles had a place in Bermuda's transport system.

He said: "When the cost of fuel goes up even higher that will be another incentive."

Power-assisted electric push bikes are also a possibility to cut down on congestion and pollution and could appeal to tourists and commuters suggests the committee.

They are propelled by the rider with the assistance of a motor up to 13 mph, after which the rider must do all the legwork.

The report urges new laws to provide a separate classification for power assisted bikes to sort out the minimum age of the driver.

The committee is also calling for:

duty free customs tariffs to apply to all electrical vehicles including golf carts - not just cars and mopeds as at present.

duty free policies to be extended to spare parts for electric vehicles.

duty free policies to be extended to hybrid and fuel cell electric vehicles.

Tax discounts hinging on how environmentally clean a vehicle is have also been suggested.

Fuel cell cars could be another way forward, said Mr. Todd, but at the moment there are problems with cost, weight and technology.

They work by combining hydrogen and compressed air to produce electricity, which is used to power the car, and water, which is discharged.

Transport Control Director Kevin Monkman said the idea of renting electric cars to tourists to cut down on accidents and pollution was still on the table after years of consideration.

But he said they would still add to congestion and have problems finding parking space at many tourist attractions.