While last week's signing of the energy bill was a great step forward, it doesn't go nearly far enough.  This country has been slacking on fuel efficiency standards for decades, and it is starting to hit Detroit in the bottom line. Let's compare some fuel efficiency statistics by geography and time.

In 1987, Honda Civics got 57 Miles per Gallon.  Due to its increased weight, the 2008 Civic gets only 26-34 Miles per Gallon.

In 1908, the Model T got 25 Miles per Gallon.  In 2004 the average American car got just 21 Miles per Gallon.

MPGomatic has a list of dozens of late 70s and early 80s American cars with great fuel efficiency, many as high as 40 MPG.

The International Council on Clean Transportation has an excellent report called Passenger Vehicle Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Economy Standards:  A Global Update.  It includes this graph which projects global fuel efficiency over the next 10 years.

I'll be buying a car in the next few years, and I'd like it to be an American one.  The car I choose will be largely determined by fuel efficiency of vehicles on the market in my price range.  Hopefully, the American auto industry will get its active together and realize that people are sick of huge, gas guzzling SUVs.  There are millions of Americans like me who would prefer to buy a super-efficient (and cost-saving), small vehicle.

Fortunately, due in large part to the X Prize Foundation, there may be options.  The Aptera Typ-1 is expected to be on the market in early 2008, with the ability to go nearly 300 miles per gallon.