Fuel Economy Must Be Increased

"In a highly unusual move, the academy will hold a public hearing Oct. 5 to consider changing its July report on the nation's fuel economy standards.The report is at the center of the debate over whether the government should force automakers to make vehicles that go farther on a gallon of gas, which would reduce emissions and dependence on foreign oil.The panel found that a variety of available technologies can achieve fuel use improvements of as much as 40 percent in some vehicles without significant reductions in size and weight."