Indeed, regulations add weight and cost to our cars and prevent us from giving consumers the kind of inovative products people in Japan and Europe routinely see. It's not because we are less intelligent or less capable than our overseas friends. As a matter of fact, much of their cutting age inovation comes from US research and design labs that are forbidden from using the technology here.
I think there is too much emphasis on fuel economy. There is a break-even point that we are not going to get around on an internal combustion engine. Anyone who has used a gas welder know what a neutral flame is. That is the optimum mix of gas and oxygen -- best bang for the buck. This also applies to an engine. It is going to take a certain amount of fuel, mixed with aie, to give the best possible and cleanest burning operation. When you calculte displacement and RPMs, yu can see that there is a point after which you are going to see no more improvement. That's not to say we don't have a bit more efficiency to squeeze out of current designs, but not much. The biggest stumbling block is that unlike the welding torch, we are not using pure oxygen or a very clean fuel. We are now getting MPG in the mid 30s on mid-size luxury cars. When I was a kid, a sub-2000 pound death trap of an eco car got 25 MPG and burned dirty.
I think the next big thing we are going to see is a division between a full-featured family car and a commuter vehicle. Commuter vehicles will be a lot like Japaneese mini-cars and be full electric. They should have multiple energy recovery systems so as to not leave a driver stranded. They should have a common household plug in, as well as a solar panel on the roof that trickle charges the batteries while you are sitting at your desk all day. It will also have a small natural gas fueled engine under the hood running a mini generator. This generator kicks in when battery power falls off too much. The NG fuel wouldbe able to operate a heater system, and the motor would operate a small AC compressor. These could be perfect cars for one person to commute short distances, for college students, and others. Every garage should have one, but would also have a real car for vacations or family duties.