U.S. Gas Consumption Could be Halved With New Vehicles

The U.S. could cut its gasoline consumption by up to 50 percent by 2035 if Americans abandon their heavy cars and SUVs and begin driving lightweight hybrid vehicles. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said that U.S. drivers could slash gas consumption by 12 to 20 percent just by driving lighter vehicles like those now on the road in Europe and Japan. Adopting hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology, which emit less than half of the carbon dioxide of conventional engines, would bring even greater efficiencies. The MIT researchers concluded that these improvements, in addition to the possible introduction of fuel cell vehicles in the next 25 years, mean that the U.S. could cut its gasoline consumption by 30 to 50 percent by 2035.