When the L.A. auto show opens to the public on Friday, automakers will flaunt hydrogen cars, super-efficient engines, electric vehicles, and hybrid SUVs — leading some to wonder at the disconnect between car manufacturers’ public-facing “green” ambitions and their vocal opposition to a significant increase in federal fuel-economy standards. “They’re definitely saying one thing to Congress and one thing to consumers,” says Phyllis Cuttino of the Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency. The head of the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers protests that the slew of fuel-efficient technologies at the auto show proves that automakers are “putting their money where their mouth is.” So, what about the money going to a lawsuit to keep states from increasing fuel-economy standards? Because the mouths don’t talk much to the public about that.
