Pat Morrison had a show about gas prices, gas tax and fuel economy standards. I got on the air and said that since I now use my scooter for most local transportation, I see tons of people driving around in large vehicles alone, and support continuing increase in gas prices to change consumer behaivor. Which brings me to this point: US automakers do not understand their customers. The automakers that spend millions fighting increased CAFE standards fail to see that their model line is not what consumers want. Toyota is now the largest automaker, and their investment in hybrid technology will continue to pay off as we move into a post-carbon economy. Ford, GM and the others (including Toyota!) fighting increased fuel economy standards have their head in the sand. The economic woes of Detroit is directly correlated to the fuel economy of their model lineups. Maybe I am wrong, but unions should be supporting increased fuel economy. The line that CAFE standards will hurt Detroit makes no sense. Rather, they fail to recognize that gas guzzlers are not going to sell when oil is at $100/barrel.
