Friedman on Gasoline Taxes

[Austin_Explorer]

Quote:

We would have without the CAFE laws. *People didn't like the small cars, so they switched to large trucks that used more gas than the big cars they used to buy.

How would we have more fuel efficiency without CAFE at all? Trucks and SUV's are currently exempt from CAFE, which is one of the reasons why the average mpg has been going up over the last few years. Somehow it was determined that SUV's and pickups weren't "passenger vehicles". Yeah, right! :

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I think the point being made (correct me if I'm wrong) is that since CAFE did exclude trucks, they were made bigger and more guzzly, and since it included only cars, those were made smaller and less appealing, driving car owners to buy the SUV's.

No CAFE, cars stay midsized, people keep buying those satisfactorily instead of SUV's.

Its feasible.

I'd like to see them include all passenger vehicles included in CAFE. I'm fairly impressed with the early reviews of the toyota highlander hybrid...the local news dude got one with an electric boosted v6 for a week and averaged 34MPG...so its doable...