New CAFE Rules Anger Just About Everyone

New CAFE Rules Anger Just About Everyone: The Obama administration announced new fuel economy rules last week requiring that vehicles reach 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.  Typical of the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) rules, there are many credits offered for different types of vehicles based on their drivetrains, encouraging automakers to make and sell alternative drive and alternative fuel vehicles. The effort to tighten CAFE standards has been the epitome of government sausage making.  The process required not only getting Republicans and Democrats to agree on something, but also getting environmentalists and, more importantly, auto manufacturers to agree on something that no party really likes.  All of this makes for a very messy show, and it?s the biggest reason why from 1990 to 2009 fuel economy for cars remained unchanged.