Debate: Is Obama's 56.2 MPG Goal Feasible?

(Photo: (cc) by Flickr user emilio labrador)

President Obama has suggested requiring all cars and light trucks to run at 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025. Our partner The Takeaway, wanted to find out if this is feasible.

Listen. The conversation starts at 1:45 after a few calls from listeners about alternative fuels.

Seth Fletcher, thinks it's an achievable goal. He is the senior editor at Popular Science and author of, "Bottled Lightning: Superbatteries, Electric Cars, and the New Lithium Economy."

Sean McAlinden, executive vice-president for research and chief economist for the Center for Automotive Research, on the other hand, believes that this goal is just too ambitious, and too high a bar to set for many car companies.