Trump Administration to Unveil Weaker Fuel Economy Standards

The Trump administration is set to release new fuel economy standards that will relax regulatory requirements for automakers concerning pollution control for cars and light trucks. President Donald Trump stated on social media that the less stringent mileage requirements are intended to reduce manufacturing waste in the U.S. auto industry and offer savings to consumers on new vehicles, while also boosting domestic auto production.

According to projections from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made in December, the new standards would set the industry's fleetwide average for light-duty vehicles at approximately 34.5 miles per gallon by the 2031 model year. This is a reduction from the 50.4 miles per gallon projected under the rules established by the Biden administration for the same year.

Fuel economy requirements dictate the distance new vehicles must travel on a gallon of gasoline. This policy shift aligns with Trump's stated intention to reverse measures that have encouraged or incentivized the production of electric vehicles (EVs).

During his previous term, Trump enacted several changes affecting the automotive sector, including relaxing auto tailpipe emissions rules, rescinding fines for automakers failing to meet federal mileage standards, and terminating consumer tax credits of up to $7,500 for EV purchases.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced on Saturday that the changes would be unveiled on Monday. Officials from the White House, Department of Transportation, and NHTSA were not immediately available for comment on the specifics of the new standards. Representatives from General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Company also could not be reached for immediate comment.

The administration and automakers have indicated that the new rules are expected to enhance American consumers' access to a wider range of gasoline-powered vehicles that they need and can afford. This comes at a time when the average new car price in the U.S. has surpassed $50,000, and gasoline prices have risen nationally.

Trump has frequently criticized what he inaccurately refers to as an EV "mandate," a reference to President Joe Biden's goal of having half of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030. It is important to note that no federal policy has mandated auto companies to sell a specific percentage of EVs.

Data from the automotive research group Edmunds shows that EVs constituted 6.5% of new vehicle sales in February. For the entirety of 2025, EVs accounted for 7.4% of sales.

Environmental groups have voiced strong opposition to the revised standards. Dan Becker, director of the Center for Biological Diversity's Safe Climate Transport Campaign, stated that the final rule disregards the viability of clean technology and the millions of fuel-efficient vehicles already in use. Becker argued that these rollbacks will negatively impact consumers facing high fuel prices, while benefiting the oil and auto industries.

Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All campaign, pledged that the organization would contest the rule, asserting that looser fuel standards will ultimately increase driving costs. She explained that less fuel-efficient vehicles consume more gasoline, leading to higher spending at the pump and increased air pollution.

According to NHTSA estimates when the 2024 standards took effect, they were projected to save 14 billion gallons of gasoline by 2050. The agency also noted that while more fuel-efficient vehicles might have a higher initial cost, the long-term savings on gasoline would compensate for this.

Without these standards in place, cars could emit an additional 22,111 tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2035 compared to the Biden-era rules. This reduction in efficiency is also associated with an increase in other pollutants, including soot, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds.

The corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards have been a feature of U.S. policy since the energy crisis of the 1970s, driving gradual improvements in vehicle efficiency over time.