Without Coercion
People are using less gas.
Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May compared with a year earlier, according to a report Monday from the Federal Highway Administration.
Imagine that. Free Markets. Is there anything they can’t do.
July 28th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Build cars that don’t rely on the oil industry, so that people don’t have to drastically make changes to their life?
Is that the right answer?
July 29th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Those cars are coming, just give it a few more years.
But Jamie, wouldn’t you consider shifting our entire fleet of cars to an alternative energy source a “drastic” change?
But seriously, if you want those cars even sooner then you should support a higher gas tax.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:58 am
I would…. I just don’t find the automotive industry to be very innovative. If they had been there would be better options now - not later.
July 29th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
It’s not the automotive industry doing much of the innovation, that’s the point. Entrenched (usually government-backed) entities can’t take the risks. But given enough (usually government) power they can squash those who can.
July 30th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Due to the high price of gasoline, demand for efficient/alt. energy cars has never been higher. Any non-brain-dead automotive executive should be pushing for R&D in higher efficiency, hybrid, and electric motors. Because companies want to make money, and people want to save money.
If the government has a role at all, it is to plan to incrementally increase the gas tax. That is all that is needed. The high price of gas has done more to shift driving habits and efficiency demand than any kind of government mandate ever could.