Sunny forecast for IC engine

Don't expect to see the internal-combustion engine evaporate as a viable power source anytime soon, industry experts say.

The surest thing about nighttime television weather reports-what happened earlier in the day-usually matters least. What matters most-the outlook for tomorrow-is seldom certain. It is no wonder meteorologists almost always hedge their bets when predicting tomorrow's weather. If only they could exert some control over it.

For companies trying to weather an intensely competitive American automotive market, what happened yesterday is important only inasmuch as it determines the amount of resources they have to carry into battle tomorrow. And like weathermen, they are seldom certain about how things will pan out. However, people in the automotive business do control tomorrow-at least to some extent.