Remember automotive smog controls? The automakers fought relentlessly. This will destroy the auto industry! When finally forced, the automakers grudgingly and resentfully grafted on shoddily designed emission control systems.

The entire paradigm around smog control was "Surely this must suck."

And suck it did. In the 70s and 80s, engine performance bottomed out. They were making V8s with 135 horsepower. All the engineers agreed - this was because of the smog controls.

Well it took a generation, but those people retired. New blood came on, and somehow the paradigm of "this must suck" was forgotten. The new engineers took an HONEST look at what it would take to make performance engines in a smog-control environment. And golly, it wasn't actually that hard. Suddenly the horsepower trend reversed itself. TBI, TPI brought the V8s to 235 horsepower (net) - which was better than the muscle cars of the 60s (since they were gross). The LT1 raised it to 305hp... the LS1 to 335... and suddenly a pushrod V8 is putting out >1 horsepower per cubic inch, and also meeting optional tiers of emissions. Who ever saw THAT coming in 1973?

But it exposed their 70's suckage for exactly what it was - petulant children pouting and crying because they Didn't Get it Their Way. Boo hoo.

It was the same way when R12 freon was banned. "OMG, it'll be the end of air conditioning." Except nowadays, every car on the dealer lot has A/C.

So here we are. Robert Sanchez finished what Ricky Gates started, and everyone agreed that it's finally time for PTC. The underlying technologies are as good as they're going to get. The first-world countries have already done it. Time for frontier America to get on the van.

But of course, Americans can't accept any form of government requirement without some sour grapes for awhile. So here we are in the "resistance" stage, soon to follow with the "spitefully poor implementation to prove it wrong" stage. Develop a world-class implementation of PTC that's suitable for export? Never happen.