For only $600 in added costs and using existing technologies, the Union of Concerned Scientists’ proposed modifications to a standard Ford Explorer would increase its gas mileage over 30% as well as making it, arguably, safer and cleaner… without compromising the power, performance or comfort SUV drivers want. Say all you like about how those consumers ought to give up SUVs altogether for the sake of the world. Maneuvering people in that direction to a significant enough extent to influence air quality, driving fatalities, etc. is, of course, a daunting proposal. In the meanwhile, why shouldn’t Detroit do something like the UCS Guardian? By the way, for $2300 extra, proposing more radical modifications, they could improve on the Explorer’s gas mileage by over 70%.