"Rate of inflation over the last twenty five years"
Twenty five years ago I was 11 years old and no where near to caring what gas prices were then.
WOW, I stil don't care what gas prices were then. I care what I am paying now. And now is just too much.
Too much comapared to what?
Compared to what you are used to maybe, but not compared to what they would be if they had not been politically restrained from normal market increases.
The current quick jump from $35 to $60s is due to the pent up price demand that political decisions withheld from developing naturally, slowly over the years. What you are witnessing is merely catching up with natural inflation that most other prices already reflect.
If oil had been allowed to increase naturally then new auto-fuel standards would not be needed because markets and prices would have already demanded them from the auto makers.