Meanwhile, the feds' fuel-economy administrators are currently operating at a dead run trying to keep up with a host of new, highly digitized fuel-saving technologies, such as "Eco" throttle mapping and stop-start (the engine cuts out as the vehicle coasts or stops), which were practically invented to hack the EPA testing cycle.

WSJ: 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid Review: A Fine Car Falls Way Short on MPG | Rumble Seat by Dan Neil

It provides roughly 50% of the U.S. electricity sector's needs--even with the "going green" craze at full throttle, power companies aren't going to stop gobbling up coal.

FORBES: Brian Wingfield On Energy

Now, it's true that amazing gains are being made in the efficiency of internal combustion engines, both gas and diesel: direct injection, cylinder deactivation, stop-start, eco-mode throttle mapping, to name a few of the recent applied technologies.

WSJ: Ford C-Max Hybrid Energi: The Bawdy Electric

The report, however, says the brakes on Toyotas are powerful enough to stop a car even with wide-open throttle, or at least slow it to a safe speed.

FORBES: NASA Report Makes Life Tougher For Lawyers Suing Toyota