DETROIT -- Despite current efforts to revisit light-vehicle fuel economy standards enacted during the Obama administration, there have been no changes to the law, and there might not be for years, as the wheels of government bureaucracy spin slowly and legal challenges play out.
For automakers, that means it's business as usual, for now, in continuing to meet the stringent rule on the books -- an average 46.7 mpg across an automaker's fleet by 2025.
And so last week in Detroit, Germany's Schaeffler Group rented the conference center of a casino here and invited hundreds of engineers from General Motors, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan and others to take a deep dive into the company's latest fuel-saving technologies.
Judging by the crowd, you'd never know there is an effort by the current administration to hold fuel economy rules at 2020 levels -- 37 mpg. Engineers packed each technical session that highlighted various engine parts and transmission components. Displays that showcased components, such as the Audi e-tron's electric motor and transmission, drew lines of engineers waiting to examine them and to ask the engineers who designed them detailed technical questions.