HIT 'EM WHEN THEY'RE DOWN - AT 4:36 P.M. ET:  From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON —The Obama administration will issue new national emissions and mileage requirements for cars and light trucks to resolve a long-running conflict among the states, the federal government and auto manufacturers, industry officials said Monday.

President Obama will announce as early as Tuesday that he will combine California’s tough new auto-emissions rules with the existing corporate average fuel economy standard to create a single new national standard, the officials said. As a result, cars and light trucks sold in the United States will be roughly 30 percent cleaner and more fuel-efficient by 2016.

COMMENT:  Notice that the story says "sold in the United States," not "made in the United States."  We are talking about a goal seven years away.  I suspect the reality will mean smaller, lighter, less safe cars. 

Look, this is a case where we can legitimately curse everyone.  On the one hand, this kind of pressure may well result in more economic chaos in the auto industry.  On the other hand, the industry could have been far more imaginative. 

I'd like to see a real scientific analysis of how much air improvement the 30 percent will really produce.  I'm not expecting it.

May 18, 2009