In 2011, President Obama announced an agreement made between 13 automakers to increase average fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Now two government reports suggest that cheap fuel and a love of trucks may make that unlikely. Both the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency have published draft reports which claim Obama’s 2011 promise currently looks out of reach. The agencies claim that a combination of sustained low fuel prices and an increasing popularity of trucks compared to cars. If things don’t change markedly, fuel economy might reach 50 miles per gallon at best. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy program, the rules for which were tweaked in 2012, set a goal of 36.6 miles per gallon as an average fuel consumption for 2017 vehicles and a 54.5 miles-per-gallon average for 2025. While the former target looks set to be met, the 2025 figure looks […]