It could happen even with a fossil fuel-friendly administration in the White House For the sixth year in a row, the majority of Super Bowl ad time was purchased by car companies. While this was not surprising, this year it seemed more ominous. Not only did 2016 see the most vehicle-miles driven and the most gasoline consumed in any year in history, but Americans bought more new cars last year?17.5 million?than they ever have in history?and are building more places than ever to house them.
To a group like the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), which works to reduce the country?s reliance on fossil fuels, these trends might signify that the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction.
But in light of current trends, RMI has released a roadmap that shows how car ownership in the U.S. can start to decrease as soon as 2020, ushering in a new era of clean, affordable transportation for the country. And RMI remains optimistic, even as President Donald Trump has declared his intentions to roll back emissions regulations for vehicles, and a Congress that, last week, introduced a bill to terminate the Environmental Protection Agency, which has spurred the development of more fuel-efficient cars. ?History has proven if a better system comes along and it?s viable, people will use it,? says the study?s author Jonathan Walker, who wrote Peak Car Ownership: The Market Opportunity of Electric Automated Mobility Services with Charlie Johnson.

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