text: Part of the explanation certainly lies in the recession, because cash-strapped Americans could not afford new cars, and the unemployed weren't going to work anyway. But by many measures the decrease in driving preceded the downturn and appears to be persisting now that recovery is under way. It will have beneficial implications for carbon emissions and the envirornment, since transportation is the second largest souce of America's emissions, just behind power plants. Companies like Ford and Mercedes are already rebranding themselves "mobility" companies with a broader product range beyond product range beyond the personal vehicle. With all these changes, people who stopped car commuting as a result of the recession may find less reason to resume the habit..