CAFE: 35 mpg really means 26.5 mpg?

26.5 mpg by 2020 - Nancy's shot heard round the world?

Karl on Cars has a great article dismissing the new CAFE standards coming out of Congress. It turns out that CAFE doesn't measure fuel economy the same way as does the EPA; therefore, a CAFE standard of 35 mpg actually equals 26.5 mpg. Likewise, I assume CAFE strongly favors, easier to achieve, highway fuel economy.

When you add in the lower standard for trucks plus the ethanol credit, U.S. automakers aren't going to have to do nearly as much as one might think to achieve CAFE compliance. Essentially, the Chevy Tahoe hybrid is probably already close to compliance, so anybody expecting massive changes in America's automotive landscape might be waiting a whole lot longer.

Gotta love those politicians.