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High Startup Costs Driving Buyers Away From 'Green' Cars

LONG BEACH (CBS) — As gas prices head toward $5 a gallon, an expo on alternative fuels and clean cars arrives in the Southland but are shoppers ready to dump the pump?

The 2011 Alternative Clean Transportation "ACT" Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach marks the largest gathering of alternative fuel and clean vehicle makers in the U.S.

But between hybrid, natural gas, propane, electric and other alternative fuel options, the start-up costs to going green are turning most drivers away from the new technology.

KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports many drivers won't even consider any alternative fuel vehicle until the prices are in line with gasoline powered cars.

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One vendor at the Expo is showing off a compressor for refilling your natural gas car at home, but it comes with a steep price tag of $10,500 after delivery and installation, a price that is likely a non-starter for most families if you throw out the average $1.25 per gallon at the natural gas pump.

Still, some drivers say they're ready to take the short-term hit to their bank accounts in order to save more down the line.

"I know people want to think about 'I want cheap now', but sometimes you have to think about the long-term of things," said one convention visitor.

For more information on the 2011 ACT Expo, visit www.actexpo.com or follow on Twitter @ACTExpo.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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