You may be right if history is a guide.
Conservatives truly believe the myth that "Reagan won the Cold War". Now that's the same stretch you're talking about.
And seem to believe that higher gas mileages in cars are driven strictly by consumer demand, would have occurred anyway. No need to legislate them.
And that's why conservatives fight the idea - because it's unnecessary, that the auto and oil companies are eager to show the world what they can do.
Arf