In Minnesota, a University of Minnesota researcher noted that all three major US automakers developed cars in the 1990s that could achieve 70 to 80 miles a gallon, but that federal support was dropped by the Bush Administration and the carmakers decided they were unable to afford to continue research without government assistance. An article in the Star Tribune highlighted development sin the US, compared to internationally, and found that US companies were falling behind developments in Finland and Germany. Professor David Kittleston said that US cars are more efficient in the past, but that efficiency has supported improvements in acceleration and vehicle size, rather than fuel economy.
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