Prices inflation adjusted to 1982-1984 prices. Source: Wikipedia/Public Domain government data

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Tuesday that automakers will have to meet a fuel economy standard of 31.6 miles per gallon for cars and trucks by 2015, the Detroit Free Press reports—standards that are higher than some industry observers had expected.

Under the proposal, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will raise fuel economy rules to 35.7 mpg. for passenger cars and 28.6 mpg for light trucks, the article said. "The 31.6 m.p.g. goal assumes the fleet of 2015 resembles what's on the road today; should consumers choose smaller vehicles, the number will be higher." Currently, America's fleet of passenger cars is required to meet a 27.5 mpg average, while sport-utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans need to hit a target of 22.5 mpg—numbers that haven't changed significantly in three decades.

Translation: We should expect to see more clean diesels, hybrids, and smaller vehicles with smaller, more efficient engines—and sooner, rather than later. However, don't expect a return to the awful 1970s and early 1980s, with cars that ran poorly even right out of the showroom, with awful performance. Today's technology should enable us to have much better-driving cars, even with the heavier weight necessitated by today's safety standards and interior technology. It will be a challenge, but a really good one, I think.