Ford, GM, and Chrysler have been caught off guard and need to make products that consumers want.
"Consumers have voted with their wallets: Hybrids are here to stay. In part, it's because most hybrid buyers want to keep a little more money in those wallets rather than spend it on gasoline...the sudden rise of gasoline prices after the invasion of Iraq in 2004 and the uncertain direction of future fuel prices dramatically changed buying patterns, catching off-guard the Big Three - Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG...Japanese automakers are pushing cheaper, smaller passenger cars...Most Americans see hybrids as environmentally friendly and the best way to boost mileage."
"Consumers have voted with their wallets: Hybrids are here to stay. In part, it's because most hybrid buyers want to keep a little more money in those wallets rather than spend it on gasoline."
"American manufacturers have been late to the hybrid market as consumers have snapped up the more fuel and environmentally friendly gas/electric models made by Asian manufacturers."
FULL STORY: What will drive automakers' future?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

US Rents Squeezing Low-Income Tenants
Despite a recent — and slowing — apartment construction boom, renters at the lower end of the income scale are still struggling to find housing.

Tech Tools Help Tenants Push Back Against Problematic Landlords
Shelterforce found more than a dozen examples of tenant-serving technology that help renters identify landlords, respond to eviction, fight back against housing discrimination, and more.

More Apartments Are Being Built in Less-Dense Areas
Rising housing costs in urban cores and a demand for rental housing is driving more multifamily development to exurbs and small metros.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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