Aren’t automakers working on more fuel-efficient vehicles?
So they say, but despite all the publicity, no major automaker has specific plans to increase the fuel efficiency of its whole fleet. The Detroit automakers have always treated federal CAFE standards as a ceiling, not a floor. This means for every fuel-efficient car Detroit sells, it’s selling a big gas guzzler somewhere else that’s wiping out the environmental benefits of that first car. A few years ago, Ford committed to a voluntary increase of 25% in the fuel efficiency of its SUV fleet, then recently reneged on that promise, blaming consumers for selecting too many of its less-efficient models. (Instead, Ford could have shown leadership by putting advanced fuel-saving technologies into its heaviest SUVs.) In the absence of CAFE increases for nearly two decades, the automakers have squandered every opportunity to improve fuel economy, opting instead to increase horsepower. This trend will continue without more pressure from the government and from consumers. The Don’t Be Fueled! cam
