[RM7]

We've made amazing progress over the last 20 years with efficiency IMO. Remember the old 3.0-ish V6s pushing out maybe 150hp? Lazy and low-compression 4cyl engines, 6cyl engines and 8cyl engines. Now cars have 8 or more speeds, gears to make them turn at 1000-something RPM on the highway and all sorts of great improvements. 6 cyl engines and turbo 4s getting mileage in the mid-thirties easily, where before they'd struggle to get 20-something. I think it's been a great improvement, hybrid drives will improve this more and they are the key to flat out performance, being able to capture braking energy to rocket out of the turn. I think the mileage push has done far more good than bad. Yes, the days of the petrol car are limited. That's just progress and it won't be next year or the year after.

Not to mention, you can't predict the bottom falling out because OPEC decides to do something, or there's a natural disaster or some other event that kicks gas prices back up to what they were years ago, then you are just screwed.

Of course, this kind of conflicts with the new American status symbol being a $70K Ford F150 that never touches dirt. People are buying these now over SUVs, wagons, minvans, etc.