New cars are getting more fuel-efficient every year. Engineers are deploying all kinds of whiz-bang technology to achieve these gains. But the no-brainer most effective and immediate way to reduce our fuel use is, drum roll, to drive less.

And that’s exactly what is happening on a per-capita (more…)

Here’s an interesting graphic that suggests a phenomenon that my colleague Jeff Siegel calls “peak car” – a definitive decline in the number of vehicle miles traveled in the U.S. Granted, there are numerous factors that come together to push a change like this, and there is no guarantee that the trend will continue. (more…)

It’s the 109th anniversary of the first sale made by the Ford Motor Company: a Model A. From that moment, the concept of automobile ownership grew steadily and rapidly in importance in the American psyche; in fact, it expanded to the point that many people felt that their car made a more important statement than their home, their education, or anything else about them. (more…)

Well at least it was fun while it lasted. The tax-free joyride electric and hybrid-electric vehicle owners have been enjoying while cruising the highways and byways of America may soon be a thing of the past. A handful of states and the U.S. Government are looking at “vehicle miles traveled” (VMT) standards and other fees for plug-in vehicles to make up for the tax revenue not collected via gasoline taxes. While electric vehicle advocates (more…)