Some hope for fuel economy

The gas guzzler is done?

Well, that’s probably not going to be true anytime soon, but the wild popularity of gas-guzzlers is dead. That’s a step, and as I watch the automakers testify before Congress, I need some hope.

If the recession hitting the US lasts as long, including the recovery, as some economists are predicting, any chance of profitability for automakers is many, many years out. How are they going to be able to afford a serious push towards fuel economy if the technology costs more, especially if gas prices don’t go significantly higher for the next few years? Aren’t many consumers going to balk?

Or, have Americans smartened up?

That was the feeling I got after reading the comments to a MotorTrend article about the falling price of gas. Considering that MotorTrend is not a staunch advocate of fuel efficiency, it’s a hopeful sign when many of MotorTrend’s readers believe that cheap gas shouldn’t be an excuse to a return to guzzling.