Trump administration finalizes weaker fuel economy standards
The US Department of Transportation has finalized new, significantly weaker fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, calling it one of the largest deregulatory moves of Trump's second term. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from consumer, health and environmental groups.
The US Department of Transportation has officially finalized new rules that substantially lower fuel economy requirements for cars, SUVs and pickup trucks. The agency itself describes the move as among the largest deregulatory actions taken under President Donald Trump's second administration.
The new rule effectively guts standards set during the Biden administration, which would have required fleet-average fuel economy to reach 50.4 miles per gallon by model year 2031. Trump's plan instead sets a much lower target of 34.9 miles per gallon — only slightly above the 30.1-mile-per-gallon standard that applied to model year 2024.
Competing claims
The Trump administration argues the change will cut roughly $1,300 off the average price of a new vehicle and save a total of $138 billion over the next five years. Those figures, however, have been disputed.
Automakers have welcomed the rollback, but consumer advocacy, health and environmental organizations are strongly opposed. They warn that weaker standards will ultimately mean higher costs at the pump for Americans, along with increased healthcare expenses and climate-related damages linked to air pollution.
The Biden-era standards being scrapped had been projected to save $23 billion in fuel costs overall, and more than $600 per vehicle owner in gasoline spending over a car's lifetime.
Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, said in a statement that fuel economy standards have for decades made new vehicles more efficient, saving both lives and money. He argued there is no justification for weakening standards that are technologically achievable and directly benefit the air quality people breathe.
