So why are US car makers still whining about how impossible it is to improve the fuel economy of vehicles? Why, they argue, it would increase the cost of each car by hundreds of dollars each! And to protect the poor consumer (and enrich the major oil companies), they wouldn't dream of doing that. And, anyway, it's just not technically feasible.

Horse manure. The Japanese did it back in the 70' and made Detroit look like an asylum for idiots, putting out smaller, well-made cars, while the US automakers were still making 8-cylinder barges.

Remember when Uncle Sam had to bail out Chrysler and put import quotas on Japanese cars?

Lesson not learned: note the Hummers and SUVs, gas hogs all. When the US government enabled the auto manufacturers' stubborn corporate stupidity, it guaranteed that the lesson would not be learned. Tough love is what they need. Enabling doesn't work for individuals and families, nor does it work for corporations and businesses.