The Nation - News from April 11, 1989

Auto makers could raise the average fuel efficiency of the U.S. new car fleet to 33 miles per gallon by 1995 using current technology and without sacrificing performance or comfort, congressional investigators said. However, the congressional Office of Technology Assessment also said it appears unlikely the average fuel efficiency of cars will improve much above the current 28 m.p.g. unless consumer and industry attitudes change. In testimony before the House Energy Committee’s subcommittee on investigations and oversight, OTA officials said that, with gasoline prices remaining relatively low, American car-buyers favor high-performance and luxury cars that generally do not get good gasoline mileage.