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Soaring gasoline prices remind everyone how important it is to improve fuel economy. Since there is still a lack of consensus about how to adjust CAFE standards, maybe it's time for a new way to calculate fuel economy.
Let's put the burden for improving the fuel efficiency of vehicles squarely on the back of the consumer. Instead of corporate average fuel economy, let's think in terms of household average fuel economy or family average fuel economy.
Come to think of it, we had better stick with "household" rather than "family" because that's the term the government generally uses. That way it won't offend someone who comes from a dysfunctional family or doesn't have a family.
The theory behind HAFE is simple. If consumers - for whatever reason - demand more fuel efficient vehicles, automakers will build them. Imposing HAEE standards would eliminate the need to add a whopping gasoline...