text: The Obama Administration announced on Thursday the final rules for new fuel economy standards. By 2016, passenger cars and light trucks (SUVs and pickups) will have to achieve an average of 35.5 miles per gallon. At 36 mpg, the two-seater Smart Car is one of the few current models that already surpasses the average required. These new rules are an amalgam of what Congress mandated in the 2007 anti-energy act and new EPA regulations under the Clean Air Act derived from the Endangerment Finding. As my CEI colleague Marlo Lewis points out in a comprehensive analysis , the new fuel economy rules will trigger a regulatory cascade under the Clean Air Act. CEI sent out a press release criticizing the new rules from several angles. Lawsuits are sure to follow.