“To wit, brazenly refuse to follow the EPA regulations and build bigger, gas-hungry cars to increase the demand for petroleum products.”
Already being done. Just look at the pickup market. Gas hogs most of them, not to mention extremely expensive. There is another issue no one has mentioned, and that is the two to four year ongoing plan by some politicians to raise the gas tax to pay for roads and bridges falling down.
The plan so far is picking up steam in many state legislatures based on many issues key of which is tax revenue from that gas tax is falling because we aren’t driving as much due to the high cost, and better overall fuel economy.
Last year WY a very conservative state raised their gas tax by fourteen cents. I don’t pretend to know the end of the story, but any improvement in gasoline prices could be neutered by an increase in taxes, for the so called infrastructure of roads and bridges needing repair and maintenance.
Forgotten in the story is the Federal Transportation Trust Fund, without trust or funds drained dry by the US Congress and their spending habits. So State legislatures are aiming at their own citizens to solve that problem rather than holding the congress responsible for the problem and a possible solution that doesn’t kill the geese holding the golden eggs. That would be US.
“Just look at the pickup market. Gas hogs most of them”
You don’t know trucks if that’s your view. I’ve got a 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 with a 5.7L Hemi. Puts out 390hp and 400ft/lbs torque, yet, it can easily achieve 28mpg at 55mph, and never averages under 17mpg and usually 19mpg to 22mpg.
Ford has a similar offering and Dodge just introduced the new EcoDiesel at 24mpg average.
As far as expense, most SUVs and many cars cost more than a truck, yet, a truck can have far more to offer in features, capabilities, and equipment.