For those who missed it, our partner PopMechanics did a piece back in June about the Obama administration’s mandate that cars and trucks from U.S. automakers reach 35.5 MPG by 2016.

It’s a fascinating article, especially if, like us, you’re first reaction is something along the lines of “hey, they have seven years – how hard can it be?”

The answer is: It’s much more difficult than one might think. Based on the specifications of the legislation and the way the math is done, having a couple super-efficient vehicles won’t really balance out the behemoths on the low end of the MPG scale – and that’s a good thing. It’s a way to force a paradigm shift towards more fuel efficient cars, trucks and SUVs, but it also puts tremendous pressure on research and development to create or implement new technologies that can help achieve that mileage, especially when you factor in a three year production lead time. More pressure means more expenditure, and more expenditure means – you guessed it – higher prices on the lot. Go read the full article for a well-reasoned breakdown of the pros and cons of the plan. It’s well worth your five minutes.