Copyright Bloomberg
I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that on my US road trip last week, the tank-sized sports utility vehicle provided by the rental company delivered a ludicrously low average fuel economy of 26.4 miles per gallon. That may sound about right to US readers, but in the UK I typically achieve 45-plus miles. Of course, my US friends roll their eyes at the tiny Honda I drive in London; my US ride was a Ford Explorer better suited to a war zone than the leafy byways of Maine. My shock at the gas station was a timely reminder of an underappreciated companion to the “drill, baby, drill” mantra that’s transformed US oil production — demand is also booming.
