From Hill Heat...
Toyota is under pressure to stop joining Ford and GM in fighting 35 MPG CAFE standards in the Democratic energy bill.
Toyota's latest claim:
Our engineers tell us the requirements specified by these proposed measures are beyond what is possible. Toyota spends $23 million every day on research and development but, at this point, the technology to meet such stringent standards by 2020 does not exist.
Ed Markey points out: Funny, that, since the fleet average fuel economy in Japan and Europe is already above 41 MPG. And China's fuel economy standards will be above 35 MPG by 2009!