Yeah a continuous problem with 'markets' and 'market based solutions' are negative externalities. If a cost isn't felt directly by the purchaser it takes a lot of social pressure to make up for that and dissuade the person from buying it.

Electric SUVs are coming.

But yeah, this is what happens when gas prices fall. I drive a small car personally but the difference between 30-40 mpg for a small gas car vs 20-30 for a SUV just isn’t very significant in terms of $$ spent on gas.

It probably would have made sense to start gradually increasing the gas tax a few years ago to make fuel efficiency still worth it - on the other hand, when France increased their fuel tax they had riots.

The trick would have been to adjust the gas tax as the crude prices fell to keep the overall fall relatively modest. But of course that boat has sailed.

> Electric SUVs are coming.

Do they change laws of physics? Otherwise larger mass still requires larger amounts of energy...

Power plants are more efficient in generating power for electric cars than an ice engine is. Plus you get some benefit from regenerative braking.

i recently got a hyundai maxima hand me down and man it is a gas guzzler. I notice it every time I go to the pump and pay $80 to fill the tank.

i'm not sure what i'm adding to this convo...i'm just complaining about the hyundai maxima really...

At least in the US, there is no Hyundai Maxima. Did you mean Nissan?

The technological free market 'solutions' will make reasonable and sustainable policy decisions far more palatable.

They matter.