I'm slowly changing my opinion about Consumer Reports: The Race to Improve Fuel Economy - Consumer Reports . . . As CEO of Diverse Construction, one of the state’s few female-owned communications contractors, Mulkey sweats the fuel expense for her 15 work trucks. They’re mostly big, brawny Chevrolet pickups of various sizes, some strong enough to haul 18-foot trailers fully loaded with tools and materials for building and maintaining cell towers. Mulkey has noticed fuel efficiency notching up in recent years as she rotates in new trucks. The improved efficiency saves Diverse, based in Lewisville, about 20 percent on its fuel bill. Last year, it was about $135,000, Mulkey says. A few years ago, the fleet was averaging 6 to 8 mpg; now it’s more like 9 to 10. “We can tell it’s improving,” she says. “Every little bit helps.” . . . Bob Wilson
With the Obama EPA, the auto makers "committed" to extremely strict 2025 CAFE rules, but the autos were trying to be cooperative and hoping cooler heads would prevail if in the passage of time, the targets appeared too unrealistic. But when the going got harder (cheap gas) Obama EPA did not return the favor of cooperation to make a more realistic plan. So the ongoing adversarial approach was continued, but now it was the EPA (under what's her name EPA chief) being adversarial. I am not sure where we are headed yet, but Rome was not built in a day, probably need to say 2035. Let's extend Plug_in credit program and call it a deal.
Just wait till CR gets owners ratings on some of those small engine high MPG ICE cars. I've been semi-seriously contemplating a Honda CRV or a next gen Toyota RAV4 but the awful forum feedback on the new CRV 1.5L has me waiting another 2 years. I don't need/want on the basis of MPG but on the basis of 6+ years later safety features. But above all, reliability. I don't want an X or high price SUV. Something with 35-40 MPG would do. Or an EV in the SUV for factor with local service. That means waiting two years after introduction for the dealer service and parts departments to get trained and stocked up.
