We all lose.
So when the automakers agree on bumping CAFE standards up to 35.5 MPG by 2016, I’m imaging future of hybrid and electric driving appliances. Anything fun and affordable will be confined to the used lots. Even a Honda Civic Si, rated at 29 mpg highway and with only 200 HP, would be considered significantly below 2016 standards. And I’ll be hard pressed to find any AWD or RWD short of a Tata Nano that can meet this standard.
I’ve been advocating a gas tax to replace the payroll tax. So paying extra at the pump is not an issue for me. I fear in the future every auto brand will be as boring as Toyota, who in the last decade got rid of the Celica, Supra, MR2, and anything that was exciting from its brand. I fear every car I driving will be like my mom’s Camry, a bloated appliance whose driving experience makes me want to fall asleep and crash the damn thing.
I don’t doubt the automakers will be able to reach this goal. But our overlords and their newly acquired automobile makers have deemed gas-burning unacceptable. If I want something fun and affordable in the future, I have to either get rich or buy a used car, which I’m proud to say neither would reduce my gas consumption.
