White House to change the way it counts jobs "created or saved" by last year’s $787 billion stimulus … though not necessarily in a more transparent fashion (ProPublica)
LaHood: "You see no criticism of ‘cash for clunkers’ in America" (Motor Trend)
States expressing skepticism about EPA’s plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in the absence of congressional action (WSJ)
Why China’s trains are performing so technologically well (TNR’s The Vine)
Obama administration and congressional officials greeted by protests and tough bailout questions at the Detroit auto show (Reuters, AnnArbor.com)
The auto show also brings a $10m competition to build a 100-mpg car — does this mean GM’s claim to triple-digit fuel efficiency is officially debunked? (Det News)
Minneapolis area wracked by suburban-urban clash over transport funding (Star Trib)
On the lighter side, a roundup of coverage of this weekend’s "No Pants" transit-riding experiment (USAT, AP, SunBreak, WSJ Blog)
The auto show also brings a $10m competition to build a 100-mpg car — does this mean GM’s claim to triple-digit fuel efficiency is officially debunked? (Det News)
No. GM has apparently decided not to enter because the terms of the competition favor lightweight experimental vehicles optimized for speed and efficiency over production models such as the Volt and the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid that would be weighed down with air bags, comfortable seats, air conditioning and other amenities.
To the extent that there could be an “official debunking” of GM’s fuel economy estimates for the Volt, it would have to come from the EPA or some other government agency.