The Trump administration has rolled back federal fuel‑efficiency standards for cars and light trucks, lowering the target average from 50.4 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2031 to 34.9 mpg. The change, announced on Monday, removes the 2 percent per year increase that the Biden administration had proposed for model years 2027 through 2031.
Officials say the new standards will make new vehicles about $1,300 cheaper on average, while the Biden plan would have saved drivers more than $600 in fuel costs over a vehicle’s lifetime. Opponents argue that the rollback could force consumers to spend more on gasoline and increase pollution, potentially worsening climate change.
President Trump praised the move in a Truth Social post, calling it a “BIG DAY FOR AMERICAN AUTO WORKERS AND CAR BUYERS” and accusing the Biden administration of a “ridiculous EV Mandate.” He added that the previous “Dumocrats” had cost auto manufacturers billions and wasted money on chargers that were never built.
The rollback follows the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which had already weakened penalties for non‑compliance by setting them to $0. With the stricter rule removed, automakers are no longer legally required to meet the former standards, even though the bill would have prevented penalties.
Trump’s administration has linked the fuel‑efficiency rule to an electric‑vehicle (EV) mandate, claiming that the regulations would force automakers to increase EV production. The Biden administration, however, said its rule did not require EVs, only that automakers could raise their EV share to meet the standards. A separate EPA rule that would have encouraged a shift toward EVs has also been repealed.
Environmental groups criticized the rollback, citing high fuel prices—AAA reported gasoline averaging $4.48 per gallon on Monday. “Trump is tanking sensible mileage standards at the worst possible time for consumers,” said Dan Becker, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Safe Climate Transport Campaign. “Consumers will pay the price for these reckless rollbacks while Trump’s Big Oil and Big Auto buddies reap the short‑term profits.”
<small>Source: Yahoo News — read the original story there.</small>