that end. Direct injection engines have greatly increased fuel economy without sacrificing Americans' thirst for power and performance. When you combine direct injection with variable valve timing and low-tension piston rings, you get a high-performance, fuel-efficient marvel...If you keep the system clean! Therein lies the service opportunity: 1) Cleaning up dirty fuel and air induction systems and 2) keeping them clean. More on the service later; for now, I want you to look at some interesting trends about fuel economy and missed predictions. In 2012, the federal government projected the cost of gasoline in 2018 to be $3.65 per gallon. The actual average price of gasoline in 2018 was $2.47. Additionally, they predicted the American vehicle mix to be 62% cars and 38% trucks, when in reality in 2018 it was 32% cars and 68% trucks. (Source: 2012 EPA and NHTSA 2018 Projection as cited by NADA in Automotive News). NADA makes a great point in an Automotive News advertorial when they observe that the EPA mandates OEMs to manufacture fuel-efficient vehicles, but they don't mandate that consumers buy them. NADA goes on to say that affordability is the biggest factor driving Americans when purchasContinued on pg. 48 D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M AUGUST 2019 47http://www.mymanheim.com/express/ http://www.mymanheim.com/express/ http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM