What REALLY killed off small pickups in America? Regulations

The roads are full of gigantic, full-size pickup trucks that get bigger and cost more every year. But it wasn't always like this. So why did small, affordable trucks disappear? Automakers and buyers share some blame, but the real reason comes down to regulations. Since 1975, the U.S. government has maintained what's called the CAFE standards, or corporate average fuel economy. These rules require automakers to build cars that meet an average fuel economy target based on the type of vehicle. The system worked relatively well until 2010, when a new set of rules was introduced that changed the way the standard was calculated to the "footprint model" based on the SIZE of the vehicle. The smaller a vehicle, the higher the MPG requirement. The larger a vehicle, the lower the MPG target. So instead of spending lots of money to develop small cars and trucks that could meet the strict new standards, car companies just decided to build bigger vehicles that didn't have to be as efficient. Good job everyone. #cars #truck #pickup #history #explained #cartok #carshorts #economy #business #ram #chevrolet #ford #vw